BELLINGHAM — Citing expensive costs in hard economic times, local officials are expressing concerns over new requirements set to prevent stormwater runoff from entering the Charles River.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week new regulations that will require privately owned properties, including commercial businesses, to reduce its stormwater runoff from such areas as rooftops and parking lots in order to protect the Charles River.

The new EPA regulations are first being piloted in three towns located at the  upstream end of the river: Milford, Franklin and Bellingham. Ultimately, these requirements will likely apply to properties in all 35 towns of the Charles River watershed, according to the EPA.

“Polluted stormwater runoff causes serious water quality problems, and is the next great challenge for cleaning the Charles River,” said Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office.

Stormwater runoff can significantly harm rivers and waterways when rain and melting snow pick up and deposit pollutants, such as oil, grease, pesticides and trash, into storm drains.

These pollutants are later discharged  into local rivers and bodies of water.

According to the Charles River Watershed Association, stormwater runoff is the most significant source of pollution to the Charles River.

Under the new regulations, certain industrial, commercial and residential facilities with two or more acres of impervious area, such as parking lots, roofs or roadways, will be required to operate under a Clean Water Act permit.

Properties built before the late 1990s will most likely need to comply with the new rules.

The permits will require that these facilities reduce phosphorus discharges by 65 percent through a variety of stormwater management practices. The deadline for properties to complete these reductions is unknown at this time.

“Until now, managing stormwater has largely been the responsibility of the cities and towns,” said Laurie Burt, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). “It is critical now for other property owners to step up to the plate and do their part. This new program creates a level playing field by requiring that the responsibility for managing stormwater be shared by municipalities and private property owners.”

However, Bellingham's director of public works (DPW), Donald DiMartino,  has expressed some concern about the costs of these new regulations.

“It's going to be a very expensive program,” DiMartino said. “I'm very concerned about how anyone is going to make this happen. I know the EPA is working on a grant program. If money was no object and land was no object, this would be a great idea.”

According to the DPW director, the new regulations could affect not only commercial businesses, but also older residential properties.

“I think it's going to have a fairly significant impact on private property owners,” DiMartino said. “The newer developments are going to be OK. It's the older properties. Two acres is about 300 by 300 feet. That's not a huge parcel. It's going to affect an awful lot of property owners.”

“It certainly will impact business owners,” said Bellingham Town Administrator Denis Fraine. “It's definitely going to take some time to digest it and understand the full impact.”

According to the Charles River Watershed Association, these new steps will help local municipalities meet environmental requirements.

“EPA’s extension of the Clean Water Act to include polluted stormwater runoff from commercial and industrial parking lots is both bold, and necessary,” said Bob Zimmerman, executive director of the Charles River Watershed Association. “This bold move will aid cities and towns to meet their requirements, and help restore a more natural balance to the way water works in metropolitan regions, not just in the Charles River, but ultimately across the United States.”

According to the EPA, the Charles River watershed has been plagued in recent years by stormwater containing high levels of phosphorus, which can cause dramatic algae blooms, including toxic cyanobacteria.

High levels of nutrients, especially phosphorus, have in the past several years caused the Charles River and other bodies of water to turn a bright shade of blue-green during the summertime. The color is caused by blooms of cyanobacteria, which can be harmful to both people and pets.

“Many of our state’s waters are severely degraded as a result of stormwater pollution,” said Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles. “Now is the time to take action to reduce pollution and return more water to the ground, where it will be cleaned naturally and added to our water supplies.”

In a separate but related action, Massachusetts is enacting statewide requirements to reduce stormwater runoff that are similar to the EPA's.

These requirements to reduce  stormwater will affect facilities with five or more acres of impervious area. The properties will be given 10 years to comply with the state's regulations.

Public meetings to discuss the new state regulations will be held in the near future at locations throughout the state.

For more information about the state's stormwater regulations, visit www.mass.gov/dep. For more information about EPA regulations, visit www.epa.gov..