What is a watershed? A watershed is an area of land that drains into a common body of water.  Waterford Township is within the Clinton River Watershed and within two subwatersheds, the Upper Clinton and the Clinton Main.  What is stormwater? Stormwater is generated by rainwater and snowmelt runoff from streets, parking lots, building rooftops, lawns, farms, construction sites, industrial sites and many other aspects of the landscape. This runoff picks up fertilizers, dirt, pesticides, oil and grease, and many other pollutants on the way to our rivers, lakes, and coastal waters.  Stormwater runoff is our most common cause of water pollution. What is watershed management?  Watershed management is a decision-making process regarding uses and changes to the land and the water within a watershed. Human changes directly alter the delivery of water, sediments, and nutrients within the watershed, and thus fundamentally change the aquatic system within the watershed.  Watershed management encompasses the entire watershed system, from uplands and headwaters, to floodplains, wetlands and river channels.  Common goals for land and water resource management must be developed. Watershed Management Partners SEMCOG For More Information on Stormwater and Watershed Management

Under Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), part of the Clean Water Act, Federal regulations require regulated stormwater communities to obtain a permit and to develop plans that contain schedules, best management practices and measurable goals for stormwater management.  For Waterford, these plans include:

Illicit Discharge Elimination Plan (IDEP)

The IDEP is the Township's plan to identify and eliminate illicit connections and discharges.  The federal law defines “illicit discharge” and “illicit connection” as follows:

Illicit discharge - the discharge of untreated sanitary wastewater (including industrial and commercial wastewater) or other polluting materials into a river, stream or other water body from:

• improper sewage connections - such as sources of sanitary sewage which should be connected to the sanitary sewer but are inappropriately connected to the storm sewer.
• effluent from improperly designed and/or operated septic systems
• sanitary sewer overflows.
• improper disposal of waste products - such as emptying a mobile home holding tank into a catch basin or pouring used motor oil into a catch basin.
• other discharges not composed entirely of storm water.

Illicit connection – an improper physical connection of illicit discharges to the stormwater drainage system, or other connections not authorized by the local authority (where required), to the storm water drainage system.  Examples of illicit connections are: a) a floor drain in an automobile repair shop that is connected to the storm sewer rather than the sanitary sewer; and b) a septic tank discharge line that has been connected to the storm sewer.  An improper connection of a source of stormwater to the sanitary sewer would also be considered an illicit connection, for example, a parking lot catch basin that is tapped into the sanitary sewer.  Sump pumps connected to the sanitary sewers would also be an illicit connection.

The IDEP identifies both short-term and long-term efforts to eliminate illicit discharges and connections.  When the majority of known illicit discharges and connections have been eliminated, a less intensive on-going program will be implemented to prevent future problems.

Illicit Discharge Elimination Plan (312 KB)

Public Education Plan (PEP)

The Public Education Plan (PEP) was developed to inform the public about their role in stormwater management and in protecting water quality within their community.  The plan was created with the help of residents and professionals in the education field.  It outlines goals for the Plan, and messages that must be communicated, as well as additional information that is important for the public to understand.  The PEP describes the existing and future efforts Waterford will undertake to achieve these education goals, and how these efforts will be evaluated.

Public Education Plan (177 KB)
 

Watershed Plan (WP)

The purpose of the WP is to identify and address water quality and quantity issues within the watershed.  The following document is Waterford Township's Watershed Management Plan.  Each chapter addresses key components of the plan.  The maps help to achieve a visual understanding of the current environmental state of Waterford Township and where the focus needs to be directed.

Watershed Plan (4.5 MB)
Maps (9.0 MB) (Catchments, Clinton River Watershed and Subwatershed,  Existing and Potential Areas of Critical Concer,  Existing Land Us, Hydrological Soil Groups, MNFI Natural Area, Sewer Service Area,  Vegetative Land Cover,  Water Sampling Station)

Storm Water Pollution Prevention Initiative (SWPPI)

The SWPPI details the actions that Waterford will be taking to meet the goals to reduce discharge of pollutants to the maximum extent practicable. 

This document is to be developed.