Nassau County Storm Water Management
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In an effort to preserve Long Island’s coastal heritage and natural resources, Nassau County has taken the initiative to create an intermunicipal Nassau County Storm Water Management Program (NCSWMP). This Program will depend on the participation of every municipality in the County to work with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to manage our storm water and reduce the toxic runoff that affects our lakes, streams and coastal waterways.
Roughly 40% of our nation’s surface waters do not meet water quality standards, and are contaminated by pathogens, excess nutrients and chemical pollutants. The health of these surface waters is vital to human health, wildlife and to our regional economies. Yet every day, storm water runs into these important water bodies after being contaminated by surface wastes, chemicals and excess sediment.
Why Manage Storm Water?
Storm water discharges directly into our open waters or to our groundwater system. Unlike water which is used in many of our homes, stormwater is not collected in a sewer system and passed through a water treatment plant before being discharged. Instead, it is collected in almost 1000 groundwater recharge basins or directed to the south shore bays or Long Island Sound through 3720 storm water outfalls or almost 60 miles of open stream corridors.
This means that contaminants that are picked up by storm water after it falls on our County’s roads, parks, homes, and parking lots flow directly into the groundwater system which we use for our drinking water, or into the sensitive open waters surrounding our island. These pollutants include nutrients, silt/sediment, pathogens, oil/grease, metals, debris, and litter. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Nassau County are working together to reduce six pollutants of concern:
- Pathogens
- Phosphorus
- PCB's
- Silt and Sediment
- Oxygen Demand
- Nitrogen
What Is the County’s Role?
The NCSWMP is a comprehensive program to reduce the levels of contaminants in Nassau County’s storm water runoff and educate the public about their impacts on storm water. Storm water systems are the responsibility of the County and its 67 Towns, Villages, and Cities. As the largest municipality, Nassau County has taken the lead in coordinating the NCSWMP and acting as a clearinghouse of information for concerned parties. The Nassau County Department of Public Works Water Engineering Unit is in charge of implementing the plan, including water testing, education, and pollution prevention measures. The six elements of the NCSWMP are
Private citizens can do a lot to prevent pollution from entering our storm systems and waterways. Click here to find out what you can do to improve our water’s health!
2008 Annual Report
The 2008 Annual Report for the Nassau County Storm Water Management Program is to be presented at the Nassau County Soil and Water Conservation District Meeting to be held at the Chelsea Estate ( Muttontown Preserve), 1864 Muttontown Road, Muttontown on Friday May 16, 2008 at 10:00 AM. The general public is invited to attend and make comments. A copy of the report can be found below.
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