Program: Water Quality Improvement Program

The Regional Board staff serves as a planning resource for all 8 counties to enhance the region’s water quality with 4 program areas:

• MS4 General Permit Assistance: As the Southern Tier is home to the headwaters of the Susquehanna River & Chesapeake Bay, Southern Tier 8 reduces costs and increases opportunities under a “shared services” model for 15 municipalities regulated under the State’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit, known as the Broome-Tioga Stormwater Coalition. Southern Tier 8 staff manages public education programs with web-based platforms, municipal workforce trainings, annual reporting, assists with implementing policies and procedures, and provides recordkeeping and data collection assistance.
• The Chesapeake Bay Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan: Southern Tier 8 assists DEC with collecting and verifying nonpoint source Best Management Practices (BMPs), and provides education and outreach on Chesapeake Bay initiatives to raise awareness region-wide.
• Local and Regional Watershed Planning: Southern Tier 8 assists municipalities in identifying and applying for water quality funding assistance, assists municipalities with local law development and the removal of barriers hindering environmental protection, assists with stormwater and floodplain management, and provides technical assistance to Water Quality Coordinating Committees (WQCC).
• Surface Water Monitoring: Southern Tier 8 partners with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission to enhance and strengthen regional water quality monitoring initiatives