Published November 25, 2024
Welcome to the Bath Borough Stormwater Authority webpage! Bath’s Stormwater Authority has been developed to manage the Borough’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4). This includes the operational maintenance of storm sewer inlets, outfalls, conveyance systems, retention basis, and drainage swales. The Stormwater Authority will also maintain state and federal compliance of the Borough’s National Pollution Discharge & Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Finally, Bath’s Stormwater Authority will continually plan for improvements to capital infrastructure of the Borough’s MS4 system well into the future.
Pay your Stormwater Invoice Online!
Meetings
- 6PM
- Every 4th Monday of the Month
- Borough of Bath Municipal Building (121 S. Walnut Street Bath, PA 18014) Council Chambers
- Check the Borough’s Calendar for meeting cancellations
Agendas & Meeting Minutes
Agendas are available prior to the meetings. Follow the link below. Meeting minutes are available following approval by the Bath Borough Stormwater Authority Board of Directors.
View Most Recent Agendas and Minutes
Use the link above to also review Resolutions passed by the BBSA.
Bath Borough Stormwater Authority Board Members
- Manny Mirabito, Board President
- Lauren Bullsnake, Board Vice-President
- Pamela Romanishan, Secretary
- Brian Schoeneberger, Treasurer
- Samantha Angst, Board Member
Additional Information
For additional information or questions, please email Bradford T. Flynn, Borough Manager or call (610) 837-6525.
Resource Documents
BBSA Rates, Rules, and Regulations
BBSA Credits and Appeals Process
BBSA 2025 Stormwater Fee Resolution
To review the Borough Ordinance authorizing the creation of the BBSA, Ordinance No. 2024-736.
Forms
CREDIT APPLICATION – To apply a credit to your account, use the Credit Application Form! There is a $35 fee for filing a credit application. (NOTE: This fee is WAIVED through December 31, 2025).
PRE-APPLICATION MEETING – To apply for a pre-credit meeting to discuss available credits, use the Pre-Application Meeting Request Form! This form is used for discussing new Best Management Practices or retrofitting existing BMPs.
IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE APPEAL – To file an appeal of the BBSAs determination of impervious coverage, use the Impervious Coverage Appeal Form! There is no fee to file for Impervious Coverage Appeal.
Appeal Note: Keep in mind that appealing the impervious coverage determination by the BBSA must move your property from one billing tier to another. Unless you have a Tier 3 invoice, in which case the verified impervious coverage difference could help reduce your overall rate. Also keep in mind that a review of your impervious coverage may also increase as a result of the appeal.
Please have credit and appeal applications submitted no later than the Monday preceding the monthly BBSA meeting date. For example, if the BBSA meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 28th, applications to be considered at that meeting date are due no later than Monday, April 21st at 4PM.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE: The burden of proof for filing a credit or appeal resides with the applicant, not the BBSA. Applicants must provide as much documentation to the BBSA as possible in order for the Board to make an adequate determination.
EXAMPLE 1: Tier 1 is for impervious coverages of 301 to 2,000 square feet. If your property’s impervious coverage determination is approximately 1,500 square feet, you would need to prove the BBSA overestimated your impervious coverage by 1,199 square feet in order to drop your property to 301 square feet, or into Tier 0, an exempted status.
EXAMPLE 2: If your property’s impervious coverage determination is approximately 2,010 square feet, your property would fall within Tier 2 billing (2,001 to 4,000 square feet at $100 per year). If you were to prove the BBSA overestimated your impervious coverage by 10 square feet (lowering the impervious coverage to 2,000 square feet), and assuming you are granted the appeal, you could move your property into Tier 1 billing (301 to 2,000 square feet at $80 per year)– realizing a savings of $20 per year.
EXAMPLE 3: If your property’s impervious coverage determination is approximately 4900 square feet, your property would fall within Tier 3 billing (anything over 4,001 square feet billed at $120 for every 2,000 square feet, or $294 per year). If you were to prove the BBSA overestimated your impervious coverage by 800 square feet, your property would remain within Teir 3, and assuming you are granted the appeal, your fee would be reduced to $246 per year, saving $48 per year.
SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE CREDITS
| CREDIT TITLE | DESCRIPTION/BMP | MAXIMUM CREDIT AMOUNT | NOTES |
| Peak Rate/Volume Control Credit | A structural Best Management Practice (BMP) that reduces the rate/volume of stormwater leaving the Property; must adhere to the Bath Borough Stormwater Management Ordinance design criteria. | 40% | Not a common residential credit. May involve formal Engineering review and posting of an escrow account in order for the Authority to conduct a review and file a determination. |
| Education Credit | All private and public-school account recognized by the state of Pennsylvania who provide their students through a regular and continuing program of education concentrating on stewardship of water resources. | 5% | Example: George Wolf Elementary School. |
| Low Impact Parcel Credit | A parcel is considered a Low Impact Parcel if its Total Impervious Area is less than or equal to 10% of the total parcel area. If a parcel meets these conditions, it is eligible for a credit. | 30% | Example 1: Cemeteries. Example 2: A parcel total area equals 10,000 square feet; the total impervious area is equal to or less than 1,000 square feet. This credit would apply. Additional Requirements: 1) Total impervious area is less than or equal to 10% of the total parcel area; 2) the Impervious area are NOT directly connected to a storm sewer, curb line, stream, channel, street, or other surface water conveyance; and 3) the Impervious area are a minimum of fifty feet (50′) measured horizontally from the edge of a stream, channel, wetland, or other surface water conveyance. Must meet all 3 conditions above. |
| Agricultural Credit | Agricultural Properties that are in compliance with current regulations may submit their approved plans. | To Be Determined | Must comply with Pennsylvania Department of Enviornmental Protection regulations. |
| Rain Barrel Rebate | The Authority will grant a one-time rebate of $30 for up to two (2) downspouts on the parcel which are properly connected to a rain barrel, cistern, or other approved containment device that provides a minimum of thirty (30) gallons of storage per downspout and meets all criteria listed in the Credit and Appeals Manual (see link above). Rain barrels that exist at the time of implementation of the credit policy are eligible for a one-time fee rebate, provided that photographic documentation of the barrel, cistern, or other approved containment device accompanies the Credit Application. | $30 | This is a ONE-TIME REBATE for up to two (2) downspouts which are connected to a rain barrel (up to $60 in total rebates). |
| National Pollution Discharge & Elimination System (NPDES) Credit | Properties with an active, fully compliant NPDES Permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Enviornmental Protection | 50% | Example: Applied to Bathview Phase III when that site was under construction. The developer was required to actively maintain an NPDES permit. |
| Partnership Credit | Opportunity for Property owners to seek Credit for stormwater practices that are not covered by other Credits – practices must provide a benefit to the program to be awarded. | To Be Determined | Example: An agreement between the Authority and Property owner. Could be an apartment complex owner that provides stormwater educational brochures to residents on an annual basis. Property owners are invited to approach the Authority with a proposal to improve stormwater management at their property. The Authority will review and consider the application and may decide to grant credits based upon a benefit analysis demonstrating actual cost reduction to be realized by the Authority. |
Please NOTE: Maximum total Credit per Property is fifty percent (50%), excluding Partnership Credits. Property owners may apply for one or more credits, and the credits will be cumulative up to a maximum of 50% of that property’s stormwater management program invoice. The credit amount is proportional to the impervious coverage that drains to the Best Management Practice.
If any credit-eligible BMP was already installed as of January 1, 2025, that credit will be retroactively applied to January 1, 2025, if the property owner submits an application by September 30, 2025. Property owners may be entitled to a refund if they paid the stormwater invoice before the credit application was approved.
Stormwater Invoice with approved credits is calculated as follows:
Property Example: Total Impervious Coverage is 10,000 square feet. Stormwater Invoice is $600 a year.
Stormwater Fee = Original Stormwater Management Program Fee x [1 – Approved Credit(s)]
Example above: The property owner has 10,000 square feet of impervious coverage. The owner connects half of the impervious coverage (5,000 square feet) to a BMP and it will receive a 20% credit.
Percentage of Impacted Impervious Coverage = (5,000 sq. ft. Impervious Coverage/10,000 sq. ft of Total Impervious Coverage = 50%
Approved Credits = 20% credit applied to 50% of the Total Impervious Coverage or 10%. [20% x 5,000 sq. ft = 1,000 sq. ft divided by 10,000 sq. ft = 10%]
New Stormwater Management Invoice = Original Fee x [1 – 0.10]
$600 x [1 – 0.10] = $540
The new Stormwater Management Invoice under this scenario is $540.
How to Report an Illicit Discharge/Spill?
File a Complaint Here!
Certificate of Incorporation
Financial Analysis Mapping
The following map of the Borough provides information on impervious coverage per parcel. This data is used to categorize each parcel into a tiered stormwater utility rate:
How did the BBSA come up with the billing structure?
After the June 24, 2024, MS4 Town Hall Meeting, the previously formed MS4 Committee directed its Solicitor & Engineer to include Alternative Tiered Billing rates in the draft BBSA Rules, Rates, & Regulations. On January 27, 2025, the BBSA later adopted Example 3 ‘Tiered System’ as outlined in the June 24, 2024, memorandum. The final memorandum is included below:
