Program Reporting and Effectiveness
The SPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s), requires certain administrative activities necessary to ensure that the MS4’s stormwater program is meeting all permit requirements and is effective. These activities include: annual reporting, compliance certifications, record keeping, and program assessment.
Developing and using a web-based format to document and implement the MS4s stormwater program allows the MS4 to easily report, record, assess and modify program and plan elements as needed. This module will be revised regularly to incorporate any new or modified information such as BMPs or measurable goals. Additionally, information will be made readily available to the MS4’s staff, to the public, and to regulators.
Annual Report Documents
An Annual Report, completed on the appropriate State forms, is required to be submitted to the NYS DEC by June 1st of each year. Accompanying each Annual Report must be a Municipal Compliance Certification (MCC) form with original signatures. Previously filed Annual Reports and MCC forms are posted below.
Record Keeping
A regulated MS4 must keep records required by the General Permit for at least five years after they are generated. Such records may include, but are not necessarily limited to: elements of the Stormwater Management Plan, the Notice of Intent, past Annual Reports, comments received from the public, and comments from the DEC. Many of these documents are included in previous sections of this webpage and are available for viewing by the public, MS4 staff, and regulators.
Program Assessment Documents
Regulated MS4s are required to conduct an annual evaluation of their entire Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) including: program compliance, the appropriateness of its identified BMPs, and its progress toward achieving its identified measurable goals. The permit requires the collection and reporting of certain information about the development and implementation of the program. This information is also included in the Annual Report. Some MS4s have developed and/or utilized separate evaluation forms to more easily facilitate the assessment and allow the examination of trends over time.
Typically an annual assessment involves an evaluation of: 1) compliance with basic permit requirements, 2) the effectiveness of specific, activity-based efforts and BMPs, 3) behavioral changes including changes in attitudes, knowledge, awareness and individual conduct, and 4) changes to stormwater quality and quantity including load reductions, discharge quality and/or improvements to receiving waterbodies.
On an annual basis, the NYS DEC conducts stormwater program audits of approximately 10-20% of the regulated MS4s within each region. While the audit checklist and/or the audit itself may serve to assist the MS4 in a program assessment, it should not be substituted for an annual self-assessment.