Stormwater

Stormwater Contacts: City of Georgetown MS4 Coordinator Eddie Hightower City Engineer city.engineer@georgetownky.gov Brennen Mayhew Engineering Technician brennen.mayhew@georgetownky.gov			Location: 100 North Court Street Georgetown, KY 40324 Phone: 502-570-8272
Scott County MS4 Coordinator Jared Hollon Deputy Judge Executive jhollon@scottky.com			Location: Courthouse P.O. Box 973 101 E. Main St. Georgetown, KY 40324 Phone: 502-863-7850
Georgetown College MS4 Coordinator C. David Wilhite Chief Financial Officer david_wilhite@georgetowncollege.edu			Location: 400 East College Street Georgetown, KY 40324 Phone: 502-863-8016

The City of Georgetown, the Scott County Fiscal Court, and Georgetown College are working together to enhance stormwater quality in our community. These three entities are co-permittees of a Kentucky Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (KPDES) Phase II MS4 permit. The permit is authorized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and administered by the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW).

The overarching goal of the KPDES program is to regulate the discharge of pollutants to the waters of Kentucky, and by extension, the waters of Georgetown and Scott County. The waters of Georgetown and Scott County encompass all bodies of water including the bed and banks located wholly or partially inside or bordering the municipal boundary. This includes:

Groundwater
Lakes
Ponds
Impounded reservoirs
Springs
Rivers
Streams
Creeks
Wetlands

The MS4 component of the KPDES permit program focuses on regulating pollutants discharged to water bodies in stormwater. Stormwater is surface flow, runoff, or drainage resulting from any form of natural precipitation. The storm drainage system is the infrastructure that conveys stormwater to water bodies. This includes roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, gutters, curbs, inlets, piped storm drains, ditches, swales, natural and man-made or altered drainage channels, retention and detention basins, reservoirs, and other drainage structures and best management practices (BMPs). The requirements of the permit focus on improved water quality with improved management of the storm drainage system.

The City of Georgetown has been an MS4 permittee since 2005. Georgetown College became a permittee in 2010 and has maintained compliance with the program by co-permitting with the City. Scott County became a permittee effective May 1, 2018, when a new five-year MS4 permit was issued by KDOW. The City, County, and College will work together as co-permittees to achieve compliance with the terms of the new permit.

The KPDES Phase II MS4 permit is outlined in six minimum control measures or areas of permit coverage:

Public Education and Outreach
Public Involvement/Participation
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations

The first step to achieving compliance is developing a joint Stormwater Quality Management Plan (SWQMP). This plan will specifically map out the best management practices (BMPs) each permittee will implement to address each minimum control measure. Each BMP will have an associated measurable goal that will be used to gauge the effectiveness of the community’s MS4 program.

The MS4 coordinators for the City, County, and College are working together to develop the SWQMP. Check back periodically to this page to read the SWQMP once it is developed and for links and volunteer opportunities to get involved in improving stormwater quality in our community.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Consider taking part in the City of Georgetown’s Stormwater Advisory Committee by applying for a position. The committee provides direction to the Planning Commission and City and County staff.

Bluegrass Greensource collaborates with communities in Kentucky to provide participation activities to enhance water quality and safeguard local waters.

http://bggreensource.org/riparian-buffers/

http://bggreensource.org/rain-barrel-workshops/

Citizen reporting

If you observe an illicit discharge and/or illegal dumping, please report it to the City of Georgetown Citizen Portal. Any discharge to a storm sewer that is not explicitly stormwater is an illicit discharge.

Report a stormwater concern or illicit discharge

City of Georgetown’s Stormwater System: