Think Blue Massachusetts | MS4 Communities

MS4 Communities

Think Blue Massachusetts helps local governments across the state meet the education and outreach requirements of the 2018-2022 General Permits for Stormwater Discharges from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems.

If you represent a community that has an MS4 permit, your permit requires you to "...implement an education program that includes educational goals based on stormwater issues of significance within the MS4 area. The ultimate objective of a public MA MS4 General Permit education program is to increase knowledge and change behavior of the public so that pollutants in stormwater are reduced."

The permit goes on to define the following four audiences for this required educational program:

Residents
Businesses, institutions (churches,hospitals), and commercial facilities
Developers (construction), and
Industrial facilities.

U.S. EPA requires you to distribute two educational messages over the permit term to each of these audiences, spaced at least a year apart. The U.S. EPA explictly allows you to "...use existing materials if they are appropriate for the message the permittee chooses to deliver." The permits states that you "... may partner with other MS4s, community groups or watershed associations to implement the education program to meet this permit requirement."

Finally, your permit requires you "to show evidence of focused messages for specific audiences as well as evidence that progress toward the defined educational goals of the program has been achieved."

Think Blue Massachusetts offers pre-prepared materials that you can use to meet these permit requirements, along with guidance on how to provide evidence that you are making progress towards the goals of the program.

Think Blue Massachusetts Partner Materials

Permit Section 2.3.2: Public Education and Outreach Objective:

Here is the complete text of the Public Education and Outreach Objective of the 2018-2022 General Permits for Stormwater Discharges from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. Click Here

Think Blue Massachusetts Training Webinar

Here is a pre-recorded webinar that provides an overview of the package of materials that you can expect to receive and how to use it. Click here to view the presentation. Click here for the audio.

Sample NOI

If you want to use the Think Blue Massachusetts toolkit as part of your MS4 education and outreach, here is a suggestion about what to put into your NOI.

Click here

How to Measure Your Outreach

If you are using the Think Blue Massachusetts toolkit for your MS4 education and outreach, here are tips on how to evaluate and measure your results. Click Here

Annual Permit Report Guidelines

If you intend to use Think Blue Massachusetts materials to meet your Year 1 MS4 stormwater permit requirements, here are guidelines on what you should be able to include in your annual permit report to the U.S. EPA Click Here

Materials for Impaired Waters

Greenscapes Pledge Flyer. Click Here

Greenscapes Creating a Healthy Yard Flyer. Click Here

Stormwater Curricula for Central MA 5th Graders - WPI

WPI Project 5th Graders Curriculum Web page Click here.

5th Graders Curriculum Click here.

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Campaign Results, FY2018 to FY2020

FY2019 Post Campaign Survey

The Massachusetts Statewide Stormwater Coalition surveyed a cross-section of Massachusetts residents about their knowledge, attitudes, and habits related to stormwater to measure the impact of our "Fowl Water" advertising campaign. Click here for the results!

FY2020 Post Campaign Survey

Buzzards Bay Stormwater Collaborative Campaign Results

FY2018 "Fowl Water" ad Facebook and YouTube campaign results. Click Here

FY2019 "Fowl Water" ad Facebook and YouTube campaign results. Click Here