The governing body of the Municipality finds that:
(a) Stormwater runoff from lands modified by human activities threatens public health and safety by causing decreased infiltration of rainwater and increased runoff flows and velocities, which overtax the carrying capacity of existing streams and storm sewers, and greatly increases the cost to the public to manage stormwater.
(b) Inadequate planning and management of stormwater runoff resulting from land development and redevelopment throughout a watershed can also harm surface water resources by changing the natural hydrologic patterns, accelerating stream flows (which increase scour and erosion of stream-beds and stream-banks thereby elevating sedimentation), destroying aquatic habitat and elevating aquatic pollutant concentrations and loadings such as sediments, nutrients, heavy metals and pathogens. Groundwater resources are also impacted through loss of recharge.
(c) A program of stormwater management, including reasonable regulation of land development and redevelopment causing loss of natural infiltration, is fundamental to the public health, safety, welfare, and the protection of the people of the Municipality and all the people of the Commonwealth, their resources, and the environment.
(d) Stormwater can be an important water resource by providing groundwater recharge for water supplies and base flow of streams, which also protects and maintains surface water quality.
(e) Public education on the control of pollution from stormwater is an essential component in successfully addressing stormwater.
(f) Federal and State regulations require certain municipalities to implement a program of stormwater controls. These municipalities are required to obtain a permit for stormwater discharges from their separate storm sewer systems under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
(g) Non-stormwater discharges to municipal separate storm sewer systems can contribute to pollution of waters of the Commonwealth by the Municipality.
(Ord. 2004-03A. Passed 7-19-04.)