Stormwater management plans are critical for our safety

To the Times: As local municipalities consider stormwater management plans, they need to take strong flood and pollution prevention measures. Poorly managed stormwater is a significant public health and safety risk. The National Weather Service estimated that over the last 30 years, the U.S. lost an average of 82 lives and nearly $8 billion from flooding per year.

According to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, flooding is the most frequent and damaging natural disaster that impacts the state. Flooding damages not only private property, but also public infrastructure like roads, bridges, and public utilities. In 2016, The Pew Charitable Trust found that there are 7,448 repetitive-loss properties in Pennsylvania.

Most importantly, unmitigated flooding impacts public health, not only by causing injury and loss of life, but by polluting our drinking water. When stormwater runs off of streets, roofs, and other impervious surfaces, it collects pollutants such as oil, trash, and sediment. Contaminated water can cause drinking water disease outbreaks. It can also increase raw water treatment costs to clean our drinking water, and trigger the need for additional investment in water treatment infrastructure. We can’t afford to just deal with the damage — we need to be proactive and choose cost-effective solutions to flooding. Our health and safety is on the line. Leave your comments online Use hashtag at