The Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Act (PA Act 167) was passed in 1978 to enable municipalities to manage stormwater runoff in a manner that is consistent with sound water and land use practices. Act 167 required counties to prepare stormwater management plans (subject to DEP approval) for all watersheds located within the county and required municipalities to adopt ordinances that regulate development and growth in a manner consistent with the county’s plans. This DEP fact sheet provides an overview of the Act 167 planning process.
In Chester County, the following documents comprise the County’s approved Act 167 Plan:
- Watersheds: An Integrated Water Resources Management Plan for Chester County and its Watersheds,
- County-wide Act 167 Stormwater Management Plan Addendum to Watersheds.
By the end of 2014, all Chester County municipalities adopted the County-wide Act 167 Stormwater Management Model Ordinance. This ordinance will be updated in the next few years to meet DEP’s latest statewide standards.
Because stormwater runoff comes from all parts of a municipality, the Act 167 Plan and municipal ordinances help ensure that the pollution carried by stormwater runoff from all parts of the municipality – not just urbanized or developed areas – is limited when it reaches our streams and rivers.