On the weekend of May 15th & 16th, 2026, members of Boy Scout Troop 1305, out of Canonsburg, were seen painting stencils of fish on storm drains of the streets of Houston. This was to help bring awareness that dumping pollutants down those drains could be detrimental to wildlife.

All of this is part of the MS4 (Multiple Separate Storm Sewer System) Clean Water Act mandated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources (DEP). Pennsylvania municipalities are required to implement MS4 programs. It plays a crucial role in managing stormwater runoff in the state.

These programs focus on six key areas:

• Public Education & Outreach: Teaching the community about stormwater pollution
• Public Involvement & Participation: Involving residents in local cleanups and reporting.
• Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination: Finding and stopping unauthorized dumping or wastewater connections into the storm sewer system.
• Construction Site Runoff Control: Enforcing erosion and sediment controls during building
• Post-Construction Stormwater Runoff Management: Regulating permanent stormwater facilities in new development.
• Pollution Prevention & Good Housekeeping: Maintaining municipal facilities, streets, and parks to reduce runoff pollution.

By utilizing the Boy Scouts for this project, two of the six key areas were addressed; Public education & Outreach and Public Involvement & Participation.

Besides assisting Houston Borough to be in compliance with the MS4 projects, Houston Borough, in turn, is helping Ryan Hester to become an Eagle Scout. Ryan was the scout that answered the call to be a part of the storm drain stenciling, when Houston Borough Councilman, Paul Hatalsky, contacted his troop leader, Doug Barnes, about the project. Ryan did the planning, created the stencil, had a great input on ‘what to do and how to do it’, and showed great leadership skills during the completing of the project. Thanks also need to go out to Ryan’s father, Greg Hester, as he accompanied his son in the planning stages by driving and walking around the borough, scoping out the storm drains and then assisting with the stencil painting on the weekend of the project.

Additional thanks need to go to the other project participants: Troop 1305 Scout leaders: Rocky Marks, Iny Marks, Brant Barietta, and Ben Keefer; Helpers: Devin Sandstrom, Matthew Hester, Lisa Hester, and Ryder Hester. Assist in Traffic Control: John Defilippo and Canonsburg Police Officer Louis Baily; and of course, Troop 1305 Scouts: Joseph Viale, Josh Barnes, Joey Barnes, Jacob Barnes, Baily Marks, Tyler Marks, Jaedyn Payne, Rowan Ludwig, Logan Collins, Blake Travers, Tyler Travers, Jayce Travers, and Will Messerly.

Everyone that participated worked hard and did a GREAT job!!

Submitted respectfully by Councilman Paul Hatalsky