The Board of Commissioners of the Township of Upper Dublin finds that:
A. Stormwater runoff from lands modified by human activities threatens public health and safety by causing decreased infiltration of precipitation, increased runoff flow volume and increased runoff flow velocity, which overtax the carrying capacity of streams and storm sewers resulting in flooding, 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 harms surface water resources by changing the natural hydrologic patterns, accelerating stream flows (which increase scour and erosion of streambeds and streambanks 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 that causes loss of natural infiltration, is fundamental to the public health, safety, welfare and the protection of the people of the Township and all the people of the commonwealth, their resources and the environment.
D. Stormwater is an important water resource that provides 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 the Township to implement a program of stormwater controls. The Township is required to obtain a permit for stormwater discharges for its municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
G. Nonstormwater discharges to MS4s contribute to pollution of waters of the commonwealth.