Aug. 30--ALBANY -- Summer 2009 was notable for two things: constant rain and financial hardship.

But both exposed a major problem facing municipalities around Albany County: sewer systems that are often overrun by heavy rain and governments that don't have the millions of dollars needed to upgrade often antiquated systems.

And while making major repairs to the region's sewer systems can break the bank of local governments, the penalty for allowing tainted water to get into the region's waterways can cost $37,500 for each violation.

This summer's record rainfall and those road-eroding, gully-washing, lake-forming epic deluges produced nearly 10 inches of rain in July alone. The county's cash-strapped communities have been swimming upstream in an attempt to comply with state and federal storm water pollution regulations during the wettest summer in memory.

For the Stormwater Coalition of Albany County, it's been a summer of discontent. A county-wide organization made up of 11 towns, villages and cities and the University at Albany, the coalition formed an inter-municipal agreement earlier this year to combat flooding.

"Our mantra is 'misery loves company,'" said Nancy Heinzen, the coalition's storm water program coordinator. "Municipalities are already under the gun from the DEC and EPA doing audits. Now, they're worried about being susceptible to fines."

Nothing will get groups of people to work together like the threat of a federal fine that could climb as high as $37,500 per violation if a community's polluted storm water and tainted sediment runs off into creeks and streams after a heavy rain. Although none of the coalition's municipalities have had fines levied against them yet, penalties imposed across the state last year by the state Department of Environmental Conversation ranged from $2,500 to $20,000.

The coalition was formed in response to an unfunded federal mandate to control water pollution from storm water runoff as part of the Federal Clean Water Act. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates as much of 70 percent of pollution in streams, rivers and lakes is carried by runoff. The coalition received two state grants from the Environmental Protection Fund totaling $358,000 to get started. The money amounts to a Band-Aid for a hemorrhage.

Municipalities that had been competitors have been forced to become collaborators.

"These heavy rain events exacerbate the existing drainage problems and adds to the sense of urgency and frustration to stay in compliance," Heinzen said.