Stormwater Management

Stormwater – be an H2O Hero

The Town of Perinton has developed and maintains a stormwater management plan (SWMP) and is committed to collaborating with local businesses and residents in pursuit of clean stormwater in accordance with the NYSDEC SPEDES general permit for stormwater discharges from municipal separate storm systems. The SWMP consists of six minimum measures: public education, public participation, control of illicit discharges, erosion control at construction sites, post-construction stormwater controls, and pollution prevention at municipal facilities.

Stormwater pollution is the sediment, bacteria, fertilizers, pesticides, automotive fluids and other materials that are washed from surfaces such as parking lots, roads, roofs, and construction sites during a rain storm or snow melt. The gutters, storm drains, pipes, ditches, and outfalls that comprise the stormwater system transport these pollutants to the nearest waterway. In many cases, stormwater runoff is not treated at a wastewater treatment plant.

The Town of Perinton collaborates with the Monroe County Stormwater Coalition to develop educational opportunities, investigate and implement best management practices, provide and offer training and ensure that Perinton has the tools it needs to keep our local waterways clean of stormwater pollution.

To learn more about stormwater and how you can keep water clean, please visit the following links:

Stormwater Coalition & Town of Perinton Annual Report:

The Coalition’s 2020-2021 Joint Annual Report for the period March 9, 2020 through March 9, 2021 includes compliance activities that were accomplished during the reporting period and performance measures to evaluate overall effectiveness of each minimum control measure. Reportable activities specific to each Coalition member may be obtained from the individual municipality. The public is encouraged to review these materials and provide comments to the Stormwater Coalition staff or to the Town of Perinton. More information on the draft annual report for the entire Stormwater Coalition of Monroe County can be found at the following link:

https://www2.monroecounty.gov/des-stormwater-coalition#report

Stormwater Annual Report information for only the Town of Perinton can be found at the following link:

2022 – 2023 Annual Report: Perinton

Stormwater FAQ’s

Stormwater can be defined as surface water run-off that is generated by rain or snowmelt within a watershed area.   In urban areas, rain that falls on the roof of your house, or collects on paved areas like driveways, roads and sidewalks is carried away through a system of drainage inlets and pipes called a storm sewer system. 

Yes, the storm sewer system is separate from the sanitary sewer system. Unlike the sanitary sewer system, the collected stormwater is not treated. In some cases it may be filtered through a stormwater management pond; in other cases, it flows directly from the neighboring streets into streams, wetlands, rivers, embayment areas, and lakes. Learn more about the Sanitary Sewer System.

If you live or often spend time near a waterway, you are probably familiar with what happens after a rain event. Polluted run-off emptying into clean water is often discolored from sediment and/or plagued with litter. You may be advised not to swim or fish for a couple of days following a rain event because of the poor water quality.

Common pollutants associated with urban stormwater run-off include pesticides, fertilizers, oils, salt, litter, and sediment. These contaminants are, in many instances, transported directly from the storm sewer system into our waterbodies.  These pollutants can destroy wildlife, cause the destruction of spawning habitats, reduce the aesthetic value of a stream corridor, wetland or pond, and limit recreational uses of our waterways. 

In Perinton, stormwater is managed through comprehensive land use planning, zoning laws, building codes, and a local erosion and sediment control, construction/post construction stormwater pollution prevention and illicit discharge law.  Stormwater is also regulated at the State and Federal government level as well.  

Since significant changes were made to the Federal Clean Water Act in 1972 and 1978, the quality of the nation’s water resources have greatly improved.  Unfortunately, about 40% of the nation’s streams, rivers, wetlands, lakes, ponds, and embayment areas still receive contaminated stormwater runoff from rural and urban areas.  In order to ensure that continued progress is made by the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) established a new set of stormwater regulations in 2003 to help control stormwater run-off. These regulations placed strict controls on earth disturbing activities and mandated that local municipalities implement minimum measures to mitigate the impacts of stormwater run-off on our water resources.

These Stormwater Regulations require the Town of Perinton to develop a Stormwater Management Program that focuses on ways to improve water quality and reduce stormwater pollutants within the community.  Perinton’s program has been under development since early 2004 and has implemented many of the recommended pollution prevention measures.  In order to track Perinton’s progress and the success with its program, an Annual Report is prepared and submitted to the NYSDEC for review every June.  The Annual Report attempts to outline specific water quality control activities undertaken by the Town during the previous year.  This year’s Annual Report can be viewed online under “Links of Interest”.  A hard copy will also be made available for review at the Perinton Public Works Office. 

  • Remember: “Only rain down the drain”.  The storm sewer system is for rainwater and snow melt only.  Even leaves or grass clippings can diminish the capacity of a storm sewer system
  • Never dump or pour any material (either solid or liquid) into the storm sewer system.
  • Reduce the amount of and use environmentally friendly pesticides and fertilizers on your lawn.
  • Minimize the usage of de-icing materials on driveways and walks.
  • Properly dispose of pet wastes.
  • Compost vegetative material (grass clippings and other yard debris).
  • Drain your swimming pool only when a test kit detects that no chlorine is present.
  • Wash your vehicle on your lawn instead of on your driveway.
  • Conduct regular maintenance on your septic system.

With help from the public, stormwater pollution can be controlled.  The most effective way to reduce this pollution is to stop it from entering the storm sewer system in the first place.

The Town of Perinton has utilized volunteers to stencil or mark storm drains reminding the neighborhood that “Only rain goes down the drain”. For more information regarding the Town’s Stormwater Management Program, including the draft annual report, or becoming a stormwater project volunteer, please contact us or call the Perinton Public Works Department at (585) 223-5115.

Stormwater Informational Brochures

Lawn Care & Landscaping Stormwater Tips

Living Next to Stormwater Management Ponds

Living Next to Stormwater Wetlands

Make Your Home the Solution to Stormwater Pollution

Fats, Oils, & Grease (FOG) Information

If you have any comments on the Annual Report or would like to inform the Town of a stormwater concern, please contact the Town’s Stormwater representative below:

Contact Public Works

Email: Public Works
Eric Williams

Eric M. Williams, CPESC & CPSWQ

Asst. Commissioner of Public Works / Stormwater Management Officer

Business Hours: Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Phone: (585) 223-5115 / Fax: (585) 223-0448
After Hours Contact: (585) 425-7380