Stormwater Information

Healthy Soil Advisory

Healthy soils mean a healthy lawn and a healthy environment. With Spring here and the start of lawn maintenance season, be mindful of applying fertilizer and herbicides. Read labels, apply them properly, and store chemicals correctly. These efforts not only reduce costs to you while still maintaining a beautiful, healthy lawn but also reduce the contamination of the environment and local water bodies. Use this handy Fertilizer Application Calculator to determine the best mix for your yard. And remember, never apply fertilizers or pesticides before a rainstorm! If you have any questions about stormwater management best practices and pollution prevention, email the City's Environmental Planner Joseph Cosgrove.

Think Blue Massachusetts is a statewide educational campaign to help residents and businesses do their part to reduce polluted runoff and keep our state's lakes, rivers, and streams clean and healthy. Visit the Think Blue Massachusetts website.

View the Stormwater Informational Workshop on MCTV, May 14, 2020

Methuen’s Stormwater Management Program

The EPA nationally regulates the discharge of stormwater runoff that is transported through municipal drainage systems into local waterbodies through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater program. The NPDES stormwater program includes the following components, called Minimum Control Measures (MCMs):

  • Public education and outreach
  • Public participation
  • Illicit discharge detection and elimination
  • Management of construction site runoff
  • Management of post-construction site runoff for new development and redevelopment
  • Good housekeeping and pollution prevention in municipal operations

The City of Methuen must implement specific policies and procedures for each MCM to help reduce pollution in local water bodies. The stormwater program also includes requirements to address specific pollutants found in stormwater where waters are not meeting water quality goals or designated uses (e.g., fishable, swimmable) under the Clean Water Act. In Methuen, this means reducing the levels of total phosphorus and bacteria in stormwater runoff.

Notice of Intent

To comply with NPDES stormwater program requirements, the City of Methuen developed a Notice of Intent (NOI) to request authorization to discharge stormwater. The NOI was submitted to EPA and MassDEP on October 1, 2018. It includes information about the City's status of compliance with the NPDES stormwater program, a summary of waterbodies within Methuen that receive stormwater discharges, and best management practices (BMPs) the City will implement to address the six MCMs. A Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) will also be developed by June 30, 2019, which will summarize the City's stormwater program and the NOI in greater detail.