New law separates stormwater, sewer discharges

By Dana Casadei

The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees unanimously passed the adoption of an ordinance amendment that would prohibit non-stormwater discharges from entering the township’s municipal separate storm sewer system at their meeting on Monday, July 24.

The ordinance is part of the township’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

“You took the easy one tonight,” said Dani Walsh, township supervisor, joked with Corey Almas, P.E., township director of engineering and environmental services, who gave the evening’s presentation.

While the vote and presentation may have been short and sweet, the ordinance adoption has been in the works for some time, coming about after a routine audit from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) last fall, which required the ordinance amendment be made.

Everything else from that audit has already been completed by the township.

The ordinance amendment had three key objectives: to regulate the contribution of pollutants to the separate storm sewer system by stormwater discharges by any user; prohibit illicit connections and discharges to the separate storm sewer system; and will be used to establish a legal authority to carry out all inspections, surveillances, and monitoring procedures necessary to ensure compliance with this new ordinance.

The ordinance will follow required federal and state laws to authorize the township to regulate non-stormwater dischargers to the separate storm sewer system to the maximum extent practicable, therefore providing better health and safety to the community.

It will also establish methods to comply with the requirements of the NPDES permit process by controlling the introduction of pollutants into Bloomfield Township’s separate storm sewer system.

Almas previously presented to the board at the trustees meeting on Monday, June 26, where he introduced the ordinance.