During a meeting Aug. 14, Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners got a surprising answer to the question of cost for a state-mandated program of reducing pollutants in its waterways.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) initiative could top the $5 million mark during the five-year cycle.

The DEP’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System program - also known as MS4 - is expected to reduce the discharge of pollutants that get into streams and minimize the negative impact of stormwater runoff.

In 2018, guidelines require all municipalities in the commonwealth to reduce pollution to their streams. For Whitehall, the major waterways are Jordan Creek, Coplay Creek and the Lehigh River.

In his PowerPoint presentation to the commissioners, Mike Dickman, a consultant for Water Resources Engineer, discussed the permit process.

“It’s a whole new world of regulations,” he said.

Laying out three cost estimates, Dickman recommended estimate 2, which stated, “By assuming each retrofit costs $75,000, the retrofit subtotal is $4,275,000. The same assumption leaves the stream restoration subtotal at $838,000. Estimate 2’s total is $5,113,000 for five years, or $1,022,600 per year.”

The other estimates provided in Dickman’s report were $3,688,000 and $6,538,00, both for five years.

Commissioners asked about the possibility of state grants available to reduce the cost to municipalities. Dickman said he wasn’t aware of any grants.

Further discussion involved infiltration, stormwater basins, filters and the means to comply with the DEP regulations.

Contributing to the stormwater runoff are state roads in the township; MacArthur Road was cited as one example, the board noted.

Dickman, answering a question on what the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is doing to meet the DEP regulations, said, “They are in negotiations,” bringing a smile to the faces of some commissioners.

Commissioners President Phillips Armstrong said the township has a year to review the findings and come up with a plan. He suggested contacting municipal governments in the county regarding strategy and implementation - perhaps going to Lehigh County regarding a countywide program, as is being done in York County.