Stormwater

Stormwater Construction Permit

The Town of Big Flats is a MS4 community and has developed more restrictive standards. If your project will impact, disturb or expose one acre of soil or more, including:

  • Clearing and grubbing
  • Filling or stockpiling
  • Building Construction
  • Grading
  • Excavating
  • Demolition
…you are required to have a permit for stormwater discharges from the site.


For more information please read the Moving Dirt Brochure.


Illicit Discharge/Construction Site Pollution Reporting

What is an Illicit Discharge?

Federal regulations define an illicit discharge as “...any discharge to a municipal sewer that is not composed entirely of stormwater...” with some exceptions. These exceptions include discharges from permitted industrial sources and discharges from fire-fighting activities. Illicit discharges are considered “illicit” because municipalities are not designed to accept, process, or discharge such non-stormwater wastes.

Sources of Illicit Discharge Construction Site Pollution:

  • Sanitary Wastewater 
  • Effluent from septic tanks 
  • Car wash wastewaters 
  • Improper oil disposal 
  • Radiator flushing disposal 
  • Laundry wastewaters

How to Report an Illicit Discharge (Construction Site Pollution):

1. Observe from a safe distance. DO NOT touch or smell the substance.

2. Notify: Contact the Town of Big Flats Code Department at 607-562-8443 or in case of emergency call 911

3. Provide the following information:

  •      Your Name
  •      Phone Number
  •      Discovery/ Incident time, date, location
  •      Description of material, source if known
  •      Estimate the extent of the problem ( slow trickle vs significant flow)

The sooner we learn about these incidents, the better our chance of finding the source and correcting the problem!



Links

For more information see the links below.

Per the MS4 requirements, the Town is required to provide a copy of the draft report in a format that is open to the public so the public can ask questions or make comments. The final annual report is required to be submitted to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation by June 1. All public comments must be received by May 31, 2023. Public can review the draft report linked below and may provide comments in the following ways:  

1. On May 2, 2023, the draft MS4 annual report will be available for public comment at the Town of Big Flats Planning Board meeting held at 7:00PM at the Town Hall. The opportunity for public comment will be an agenda item at that meeting where comments can be made.  Public Notice
2. Electronic comments can be submitted to the local contact listed in the annual report or to the Town of Big Flats.