Middletown Looks To Join Regional Stormwater Collaboration

Middletown Township is taking part in a regional approach to watershed management.

Earlier this month, the Middletown Township Board of Supervisors voted to draft an ordinance for joining the newly formed Neshaminy Watershed Consortium.

The consortium is a collaboration between several municipalities and environmental groups designed to streamline stormwater infrastructure projects and meet federal environmental mandates.

The consortium grew from project-level planning sessions where officials realized a collective effort was needed to implement infrastructure across the Neshaminy Creek watershed.

“We’ve all had that ‘there’s got to be a better way’ feeling, and that spurred on this initiative,” said Karen Ogden, of the Bucks County Conservation District.

A pilot partnership included New Britain, Doylestown, Buckingham, Warrington, Middletown, and Bensalem townships.

Organizers modeled the pilot group after successful stormwater collaboratives in Chester and Montgomery counties,

Ogden said that Bucks County does not have any regional partnerships dealing with stormwater, which is becoming a costly problem for taxpayers.

The consortium will focus on four areas: collaboration, grant support, public education, and public involvement. The services are intended to help towns meet Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) requirements, a Clean Water Act program managed by the EPA.

Ogden described the MS4 requirements as an “unfunded mandate” and pointed to the strain they place on municipal budgets and staff time.

Last year, Middletown Township began charging residents an annual fee of $60 to fund stormwater projects.

Under the agreement, the Neshaminy Watershed Association will act as the fiscal agent and the Bucks County Conservation District will provide the technical expertise. Individual municipalities will maintain control over their specific projects.

“The member municipalities, you are ultimately the decision makers and really the drivers for making stuff happen in this consortium,” Ken Jones, president of the Neshaminy Watershed Association, told supervisors.

The annual cost for Middletown Township to participate in the consortium is $850.

Participating townships must designate a representative to attend bimonthly meetings.

Jones noted that while Middletown has an “advanced” stormwater program, the consortium allows for knowledge sharing with municipalities that are still developing their capabilities.

Because the agreement involves multiple municipalities forming a collective body, the township solicitor confirmed that participation required a formal ordinance rather than a simple resolution.

The agreement includes a non-binding memorandum of understanding, allowing any town to withdraw if the collaboration does not meet its needs.

“We’re optimistic, but this is the first time it’s being done in Bucks County,” Jones said. “If it doesn’t work out, you can step away.”

Supervisor Vice Chairperson Ryan Leighton said he was “excited about the prospect of additional grant funding and getting the community involved.”

Supervisor Dana Kane said she was looking forward to the township joining the consortium.

“Watershed health is very important to myself and my neighbors since we have well water,” she said.

Middletown Township falls in the Neshaminy Creek watershed, which runs from Upper Bucks County to the Delaware River. The creek has faced water quality issues as development has expanded and is a key habitat for animals and plants.