ADAMS TWP — MS4 is coming, and township officials are keeping busy.

One of their first steps is to educate the public on MS4 and stream rehabilitation, according to supervisor Chairman Russell Ford at a meeting Monday night. Public education is a part of the MS4 program.

MS4 stands for “Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System.”

“The MS4 program was originally put together by the federal EPA in the 1990s,” said Ron Olsen, township engineer. “The EPA then mandated the program be administered by the Pennsylvania DEP.”

The MS4 program aims to reduce pollution in streams. Olsen said pollution that's of immediate concern in Pennsylvania is nitrogen, phosphorous and general sediment.

Breakneck and Connoquenessing creeks and Kaufman Run are officially considered “impaired,” Olsen said. This classification is in regard to “siltation,” which is water pollution caused by sediment.

“(We've) been ordered to reduce by 10 percent the rate of silt going into the streams by the year 2023,” Olsen said.

Some of the township's other responsibilities under the MS4 program are testing water pollution, mapping discharges into streams, inspecting erosion and sedimentation controls, watching post-construction stormwater run-off, stream rehabilitation and public education.

Despite having budgeted money for it, Olsen said Adams Township is financially responsible for a large amount of the MS4 project within township lines. Olsen added township officials haven't levied any fees on residents for the program.

“This is a huge, unfunded mandate,” Olsen said. “Adams Township has been trying to minimize costs.”

For instance, Mars Area High School biology students have been doing stream sampling for the township in recent years. Olsen said erosion and sediment issues have also been deferred to Butler County Conservation District to avoid costs.

Ford said the township budgeted $400,000 for the project in 2019 and again in 2020.

“It is a heavy mandate and a heavy cost to the township,” Ford said. “We have been looking and trying to stay ahead of this.”

Ford said the board plans to arrange a MS4 task force that includes representatives from at least Mars and Valencia boroughs.

“To see if there's any way we can minimize some cost or duplication,” Ford said.

Resident Rob Crouthamel said deferring erosion and sediment issues to the conservation district isn't a good idea.

“The strategy of deferring E&S enforcement to the conservation district to me seems like (a) short-sighted strategy,” Crouthamel said.

Crouthamel said silt run-off has contributed to township flooding and should be “aggressively managed” going forward. He said the conservation district isn't the best option when it comes to enforcing erosion and sediment regulations.

“The reality is, Butler County Conservation District is both understaffed and under qualified, compared to the township,” Crouthamel said. “If you don't help the conservation district enforce the rules, Glade Run's going to be on that (impaired) list next year.”

Supervisor Ron Shemela said Crouthamel made a good point. He said he's seen areas that aren't being properly controlled for erosion and sediment.

“There seems to be a disconnect a lot of times with (the) conservation district and what's going on,” Shemela said. “How does the township fit in?”

Township manager Gary Peaco said the root of the problem is higher up the hierarchy than the conservation district.

“Things need to change at the DEP level,” Peaco said. “And if that means going to our legislators to try to correct some things, that's a huge help.”

“We should look at this glass half-full, not half-empty,” Ford said. “We are doing something now. We're doing a lot more than what we were doing … of attacking this situation.”

Ford said the public will be updated on the township's MS4 work going forward.

“This is a very, very daunting task,” Ford said. “You don't go from zero to 70 in five seconds.”