The goal of the City’s Stormwater Management Program is to manage the drainage infrastructure, in order to minimize pollution from entering our local waterways. Best Management Practices are implemented to meet federal requirements established by the Clean Water Act, and issued through a PaDEP MS4 NPDES permit. The program is comprised of many elements which act to reduce runoff volume, pollution, and localized flooding, while promoting public safety and improving the water quality of the streams and the Lehigh River, which flow through Allentown. Long-range goals of the program include replacing and upgrading aged infrastructure, understanding and addressing stream impairments, and educating and partnering with our community to help reduce environmental impacts.

Report Stormwater Pollution

Help to keep pollution out of our streams by reporting spills and illegal dumping. Paint, motor oil, dirt, cooking grease, and other pollutants which enter inlet grates in the streets, travel through underground pipes and pollute our streams.

To Report a Spill or Illegal Dumping:

• Call 911 for an emergency
• Call 610.437.7636 during business hours (7:00 am - 3:30 pm)
• Call 610.437.7751 after hours and on weekends
• Submit an online report by visiting the Contact Us page of the website

Protect Our Streams with these Seasonal Stormwater Tips

Did you know that the same plastic water bottle left on a street in Allentown today may be found in the Atlantic Ocean 500 years from now?

Rain, and garbage, fall on City streets and enter streams that join the Lehigh River, which flows into the Delaware River, through the Delaware Bay, and into the ocean.

Some plastics take even longer to break down, and when they do, they still do not go away! These microplastics are eaten by ocean life and find their way into people by way of the food chain.

How can you help?

• Stop or reduce using single-use plastics like straws, shopping bags and bottles. Think “reusable” and switch to using starch straws, cloth shopping bags and washable bottles.
• Choose sustainable packaging & products and ask your favorite businesses to do the same. Alternative, eco-friendly products are available and can be made from plants (palm leaves, corn, seaweed) and even milk protein.
• Adopt a stormwater inlet in your neighborhood (shown above). They are the doorways to the streams.
• Clean up garbage, and recycle.
• Spread the word, not the plastic.