Water Quality Improvement Projects

2018-2023 Pollutant Reduction Plan Projects

Wyndmere Basin Bioretention Retrofit (2019)

The Township installed a bioretention retrofit rain garden in a stormwater detention basin near Wyndmere Park. The project included replacing the top several inches of soil from the basin with a sand-mix soil amendment and planting a dense rain garden of grasses to treat stormwater runoff pollution. The Township thanks the owner of the basin for engaging with us on this project.

Wyndmere Bioswale (2019)

Description coming soon.

Pequea / Mill Bridge Campground Stream and Buffer Project with neighboring municipalities. (2019)

West Lampeter Township, Strasburg Borough, East Lampeter Township, and the Mill Bridge Camp Resort have all partnered together to stabilize and restore part of the heavily eroded and damaged streambanks of the Pequea Creek in Soudersburg. The Township thanks the graciousness of the Mill Bridge Camp Resort for allowing this project to be installed on their property.

Willow Street Park - Rain Garden (2021)

Description coming soon.

Groff Farm Floodplain Restoration Project (2022)

West Lampeter pursued a multi-stage floodplain restoration project on the Groff Farm tract along Beaver Valley Pike. The project removed legacy sediment accumulation, and re-establishment of a riparian corridor along an un-named tributary of the MillCreek.

Historical Water Quality Improvements Projects:

Bid Spring Run at Rocky Knoll Farm Floodplain Restoration 2009-2012

Perhaps you have heard of this one. No? It was kind of a big deal! West Lampeter Township, PA DEP, the EPA, the USGS, Franklin & Marshall College, and more collaborated to remove 22,000 tons of legacy sediments from Big Spring Run. Legacy sediments are soil deposits that have built-up over a long time from non-natural sources, in this case an old mill dam. These legacy sediments are full of pollutants that slowly and constantly leach out into the waterway. The removal of the legacy sediments saw the stretch of Big Spring Run return to its natural condition and eliminated 50,000 pounds of the pollutant phosphorous from our waterways. The research from this project helped create a new floodplain restoration BMP. For more information, check out the project’s website: Big Spring Project.

Bioretention Areas and Constructed Wetlands in Village Park

Village Park, along Village Road in Lampeter, includes multiple activity venues for public use. The park also serves to improve water quality by filtering stormwater runoff through a bioretention area in the stormwater management basin, and a constructed wetland feature. Bioretention areas, like rain gardens, use specially selected plants to soak up and filter pollutants from stormwater runoff. Constructed wetlands provide habitats for native animals, flood protections, and can break down, and filter out pollutants from stormwater runoff.

MS4 System Inspection and Maintenance

Storm System Inspections

Checking the literal ins-and-outs of our MS4system on a rotational, annual schedule helps keep our storm system flowing the way it should. If we notice problems during BMP inspections, we will first inform the property owner, so they have a chance to fix the problem in a timely manner.

Inlet & Catch Basin Cleaning

Storm drains open into box shaped chambers connected to pipes, this is how most rain runoff enters the MS4 system and is transported through the Township. These box shaped chambers, called catch basins, fill up with sediment and debris washed in from storm runoff. Periodically sucking the junk out of our catch basins with a vacuum truck keeps storm flows flowing and keeps pollution from washing into our waterways. West Lampeter contracts this service to an outside entity.