Merrimack Valley Stormwater Collaborative receives MS4 Municipal Assistance Grant to help communities meet federal stormwater permit requirements aimed at reducing pollution in waterways.

The announcement from the Baker-Polito administration on Monday was welcome holiday news to the Merrimack Valley Stormwater Collaborative. The Collaborative allows communities to share resources and learn from each other as they work to reduce pollutants in local watersheds using the best available science. MVPC’s GIS and Environmental programs will use the funding to identify five municipally-owned properties in each Merrimack Valley community that could potentially be modified or retrofitted with Best Management Practices (BMPs). BMPs include green infrastructure practices aimed at capturing water on-site, filtering it through vegetation, and letting it soak into the ground where it can recharge the local water table rather than being lost as surface runoff.  Also part of the grant is the opportunity to increase awareness of green infrastructure locations by including them in a viewer available on the Greenscapes North Shore Coalition’s website. MVPC is thankful for this support from MassDEP and the administration’s commitment to helping reduce stormwater pollution statewide.

Press Release: Baker-Polito Administration Awards Funding to Help Communities Meet Stormwater Permitting Requirements | Mass.gov