Stormwater Management/MS4

Stormwater Management is important to everyone as it attempts to protect our precious waterways.

PUBLIC NOTICE RULE 13

The Town of St John, 10955 W 93rd Ave, St John Indiana 46373 intends to discharge storm water into the following watersheds:
Hart Ditch (Plum Creek) - Dyer Ditch HUC (07120003030030)
Main Beaver Dam Ditch - Headwaters HUC (04040001030030)
Turkey Creek Headwaters HUC (04040001030010)
West Creek - Bull Run HUC (07120001140010)
which are in the Lake County jurisdiction,
and is submitting a Notice of Intent letter to notify the Indiana Department of Environmental Management of our intent to comply with the requirements under 327 IAC 15-13 to discharge storm water run-off associated with municipal separate storm sewer systems.
The MS4 Operator is Gerald Swets, Town Council President, 219-365-6043, admin.tm@stjohnin.com.
The MS4 Coordinator is Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager, 219-365-6043, admin.tm@stjohnin.com.
The town is approximately 8227.50 acres, with a population of 20,303. Questions or comments regarding this public notice can be directed to Joseph Wiszowaty, Town Manager at 219-365-6043.

What is Stormwater?

Stormwater starts as water from the sky. The water includes rain, snow, and hail. Once the water comes into contact with the ground it is call runoff. Once this water hits the ground it becomes contaminated with things like: dirt, fluids from automobiles, household chemicals, fertilizers, road salt, asphalt roofs, and any other debris that this water may come into contact with as it travels to the stormwater sewer.

Why is Stormwater a problem?

The problem is the contaminated stormwater runoff travels through the storm sewers directly into lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers without receiving any treatment. This affects everyone’s ability to use the water for swimming, drinking, and fishing. This contaminated stormwater runoff also affects the quality of aquatic life habitats.

Is there an Ordinance that covers Stormwater Management?

Yes. St. John has Ordinance 1432 which covers Stormwater Management. Ordinance 1432 was adopted on November 16th, 2006.

How is the Town of St. John doing?

The town has been doing fairly well. The town has to submit a report to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The time period of the reports is July 1st to June 30th. Here is a list of the all of the reports for Permit Cycle 2004 – 2008:

• Initial Application Certification Submittal And Checklist, also known as part A
• Program Implementation Report, also known as part C.
• 2005 & 2006 Annual Report
• 2007 Annual Report
• 2008 Annual Report

Here is a list of the reports for Permit Cycle 2009 – November 3rd 2013:

• 2008 Notice Of Intent Renewal and Part A
• Stormwater Quality Management Plan (SWQMP) Part B: Baseline Characterization and Report Certification Checklist
• Stormwater Quality Management Plan (SWQMP) Part C: Program Implementation Report
• 2009 Annual Report
• 2010 and 2011 Combined Annual Report

Here is a list of the reports for Permit Cycle November 2013 – 2018:

• 2013 Notice Of Intent Renewal
• 2013 Part A

Here is a list of the reports for Permit Cycle November 2018 – 2023:

• 2018 Notice Of Intent Renewal
• 2018 Part A

I heard I can put in a rain garden and that will help with the rainwater runoff from my roof and other impervious structures. Is this true?

Yes. A rain garden is a planted depression that allows rainwater runoff from impervious urban areas like roofs, driveways, walkways, and compacted lawn areas the opportunity to be absorbed back into the ground. To get more information on roof gardens please read this document.

Do you have any games, puzzles, or coloring books to teach kids about this?

You can find games, puzzles, and coloring pages at the kids corner.

I am a teacher. Is there anything I should know?

Yes. You can visit the Kids corner from above and learn a lot. There are also several fact sheets you can download and post. They can be found here.

I own a business and want to help educate the public. Do you have any factsheets I can post?

Yes. There are several fact sheets you can download and post. They can be found here.

I am a developer who is about to build a home or business in St. John. Is there anything I should know?

Yes there is a lot you should know. Please read Ordinance 1432 from above.

I don’t know what a watershed is.

I didn’t know what a watershed was until this project started either. You can find a list of MS4 keywords and their meanings here.

How do I contact someone if I see a problem or have a comment?

Please use the following form.