Stormwater Management Efforts

What is stormwater and why does it matter? It's important because it affects our drinking water, fish and marine life and our environment. When it rains (or even after snow melts), most residents are primarily concerned that the water flows down roadside drains so our streets do not flood.

But that is just the start of stormwater management.

Because after flowing down roadside drains or other collection basins, the majority of that water is not treated and/or cleaned in any way. Rather, it flows directly to local rivers, lakes and streams - and eventually, the same water supplies that provide us with the water that we drink or use for bathing.

Although water utilities treat, or clean, that water before it reaches consumers again - the quality of our water supplies makes a big difference in terms of how difficult and costly that cleaning our drinking water is, how healthy that water is for the fish and marine life that humans rely upon and what the overall impact is our local environment.

That is why towns like Hamilton Township are required to perform a great deal of work when it comes to stormwater management.

Per the annual MS4 permit, all municipalities are required to meet current NJDEP regulations, including standards for privately owned storm drains. Please check with NJDEP regulations prior to your next re-paving, resurfacing, or similar alterations to ensure compliance, and please contact the Township Engineering Division with any questions or concerns.

Cooperative Evaluation & Development

In 2011, Hamilton Township partnered with the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Water Resources Program to evaluate watershed and stormwater management issues and develop recommendations for improving and protecting water resources in the community.

Together, Hamilton Township and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) continue to work on a community-wide evaluation of water resource management needs and the development of priorities and recommendations for actions.

Goals for this ongoing effort include:

• Engaging the community in water resource protection
• Managing water quality
• Minimizing localized flooding
• Implementing Phase II stormwater controls
• Improving stormwater facility maintenance