New Milford Water Smart

The public is hereby notified that the MS4 General Permit, Town of New Milford 2023 Annual Report Draft
is available for review and comment.  Click here to access report.

Questions or comments can be provided to Jack Healy, Public Works at jhealy@newmilford.org or 860-355-6040

The Stormwater webpage has been developed to educate the public regarding the importance of stormwater management and to provide contact information for reporting illicit discharges into the waters of the state.  Polluted stormwater runoff is the most significant source of water quality problems. 

Impaired Waters: Currently the Town of New Milford has three waterbodies that are considered “impaired” based on water quality results.  These include the Housatonic River, Lake Lillinonah and the Still River.  The impaired uses include fish consumption, recreation and habitat for fish and other aquatic wildlife.  The pollutants include bacteria, PCBs, debris, floatables and trash.  The cause of the pollution includes urban runoff, stormwater runoff, illicit discharge, failing septic systems, nuisance wildlife/pets, oil and grease from automobiles, agricultural land activities such as livestock manure and fertilizer, landfills, remediation sites and sediment from construction sites.  There are many ways pollutant sources to the impaired waterbodies can be reduced, and many are outlined in the Town’s Stormwater Management Plan found on this webpage.  There are many effective actiuons that can be taken to improve stormwater quality including reducing quantities of sediment and the use of fertilizers and herbicides. 

Soils are nature’s filters:  Water that moves into and through soil is cleaned by physical, chemical and biological processes.  When pollutants carried by water get caught in the small pores of the soil they get physically cleaned.  Most soils have a slight chemical charge which attracts and captures chemicals with the opposite charge.  Many pollutants are used or altered by the microorganisms living in the soil.  Bacteria, fungi, and more may use the pollutants and transform it to something different.  Recently scientists have found bacteria that will transform spilled oil into less dangerous substances like Carbon, Dioxide and Water!

Illicit Discharge is defined as unpermitted discharge into the waters of the state that does not consist entirely of stormwater or uncontaminated ground water.  The public can assist with protecting the waters of our Town by reporting instances of illicit discharge including dumping or disposal of materials, including residential, industrial and commercial wastes, trash, used motor vehicle fluids, pesticides, fertilizers, food preparation waste, leaf litter, grass clippings and animal wastes into the Town’s stormwater drainage structures including but not limited to catchbasins, swales, and stormwater retention and detention basins.

To report illicit discharge please contact the Department of Public Works at 860-355-6040 or click Service Request to report an incident. 

Public Education: The following are links to online libraries and organizations that provide helpful information and ideas that can be implemented to help protect the water resources of the Town:

1. UConn NEMO’s online library
2. Housatonic Valley Association online library
3. Riversmart Connecticut
4. Candlewood Lake Authority
5. Western Connecticut Council of Governments
6. Lake Lillinonah Authority
7. Connecticut Department of Public Health Septic System Operation and Maintenance Guide
8. Rainwater as a Resource Brochure – Rain Gardens

2017 Stormwater Management Plan:  To provide comments on the Town’s 2017 Stormwater Management Plan, please contact the State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection at DEEP.stormwaterstaff@ct.gov or by mail at DEEP, Water Permitting and Enforcement Division, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT  06106, Attention Karen Allen.