More Information

The Town of Wilmington Department of Public Works has conducted inspections of stormwater outfalls throughout town during dry weather periods as part of our ongoing compliance to our Phase II Stormwater Management Plan. If pollutants or irregular flows were detected, the system was traced back to find the source of the illicit discharge. Of 137 outfalls inspected, 25 were observed to have "dry weather flow" (DWF).  The presence of flow from a stormwater outfall during dry weather raises the suspicion that a non-stormwater connection may be present somewhere in the drainage line.  Water quality testing was performed at these outfalls, testing for criteria such as bacteria and detergents.  Test results and re-inspections conclude that the DWF documented at these outfalls were most likely due to groundwater infiltration into the drainage system.  

The Town of Wilmington also performs year-round monitoring of its drainage system for evidence of illicit connections through the DPW's catch basin cleaning operation.  The DPW's catch basin truck operator has been trained in identifying characteristics of illicit connections, and as such, has helped to identify illegal catch basin wash-water cross connections.  In all cases, the homeowner was fined and the connection was terminated.

Please note it is against the Town’s Illicit Discharge Bylaw to release any of the above illicit discharges to the Town’s drainage system.  In addition, any discharge deemed a threat to public safety or public health is automatically in violation of the health code and is thus subject to a removal order and/or fines by the Health Department. For more information on illicit discharges, view the New England Interstate IDDE Manual website athttp://www.neiwpcc.org . Click on “Water Quality” at the left of the screen and then click on “NPDES”.

For more information regarding the Phase II Stormwater Management Program, contact the Wilmington Department of Public Works at (978) 658-4481