Minimum Control Measures (MCMs)
Your NPDES permit requires you to include six MCMs in your stormwater management program:
- Public Education and Outreach: This MCM involves distributing educational materials and performing outreach to inform the public about the impacts polluted stormwater runoff discharges can have on water quality.
- Public Participation: You should provide opportunities for the public to participate in program development and implementation. This includes effectively publicizing public hearings and encouraging community members to serve as representatives on a stormwater management panel.
- Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination: You will need to develop and implement a plan to detect and eliminate illicit discharges to the storm sewer system. This includes developing a system map and informing the community about hazards associated with illegal discharges and improper disposal of waste.
- Management of Construction Site Runoff: This MCM involves developing, implementing, and enforcing an erosion and sediment control program for construction activities that disturb one or more acres of land. Controls could include silt fences and temporary stormwater detention ponds.
- Management of Post-Construction Runoff: You will have to develop, implement, and enforce a program to address discharges of post-construction stormwater runoff from new development and redevelopment areas. Applicable controls could include preventative actions such as protecting sensitive areas (e.g., wetlands) or the use of structural best management practices (BMPs) such as grassed swales or porous pavement.
- Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations: This MCM involves developing and implementing a program with the goal of preventing or reducing pollutant runoff from municipal operations. The program must include municipal staff training on pollution prevention measures and techniques, such as regular street sweeping, reduction in the use of pesticides or street salt, or frequent catch-basin cleaning.
Resources by MCM
The following resources provide additional content related to each of the six MCMs:
MCM 1: Public Education and Outreach
| Article Description | Categories | categories_hfilter |
|---|---|---|
Your Quick Guide to Community-Based Social MarketingAuthor: Penn Sustainability (University of Pennsylvania) | Developed/Updated on Date: 2020 Web Link: https://www.sustainability.upenn.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/CBSM%20%20FINAL1.pdf This guide provides a “crash course” in Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM), providing essential knowledge from Doug McKenzie-Mohr’s book Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing. Community-Based Social Marketing has been proven to be effective at fostering sustainable behavior change. Its practical approach includes five steps that are helpful for all program managers to know. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach |
Watershed WatchAuthor: Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program | Developed/Updated on Date: 2019 Web Link: http://www.mywatershedwatch.org/ The Watershed Watch Campaign is a public education initiative of the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP), an association of fifteen government agencies in Santa Clara Valley. The Campaign is dedicated to raising awareness about protecting watersheds and preventing storm water pollution. This website provides free resources and easy everyday ways to prevent pollution in neighborhood, local creeks, and the Bay. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Using Community-Based Social Marketing to Reduce Residential Water Runoff: Behavioral Results from Two Field ExperimentsAuthor: Nick del Valle, County of San Diego and Jennifer Tabanico, Action Research | Developed/Updated on Date: September 14, 2016 In this presentation, we report the methods, outreach materials, and results from two pilot studies implemented in San Diego County that used community-based social marketing to target residential water runoff. Study 1 (implemented in 2015) focused on reducing runoff by encouraging residents to repair broken sprinklers. Study 2 (implemented in 2016) focused on reducing runoff by encouraging residents to reduce lawn watering time. The presentation engages the audience through a series of visual representations of data as well as outreach materials. The goal is for audience members to take away examples of tested outreach materials for residential audiences as well as an enhanced understanding of the application of community-based social marketing to stormwater runoff issues. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach |
Stormwater Phase II Final Rule Public Participation/Involvement Minimum Control Measure Fact Sheet 2.4Author: U.S. EPA Office of Water | Developed/Updated on Date: September 2018 This fact sheet profiles the Public Participation/Involvement minimum control measure, one of six measures the operator of a Phase II regulated small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) is required to include in its stormwater management program to meet the conditions of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. This fact sheet outlines the Phase II Final Rule requirements modified December 9, 2016 and effective on January 9, 2017. It offers some general guidance on how to satisfy them. It is important to keep in mind that the small MS4 operator typically has a great deal of flexibility in determining how to satisfy the minimum control measure requirements in its NPDES permit. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Phase II Final Rule Public Education and Outreach Minimum Control Measure Fact Sheet 2.3Author: U.S. EPA Office of Water | Developed/Updated on Date: September 2018 This fact sheet profiles the Public Education and Outreach minimum control measure, one of six measures an operator of a Phase II-regulated small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) is required to include in its stormwater management program to meet the conditions of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit. This fact sheet outlines the Phase II Final Rule requirements modified December 9, 2016 and effective on January 9, 2017. It offers some general guidance on how to satisfy them. It is important to keep in mind that the regulated small MS4 operator typically has a great deal of flexibility in choosing exactly how to satisfy the minimum control measure requirements in its NPDES permit. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater PlanningAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: August 2017 Many communities face complex challenges operating their wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, including meeting Clean Water Act (CWA) obligations under financial constraints. Communities with multiple CWA obligations for their wastewater treatment plants, sewer systems, and stormwater infrastructure must prioritize their investments. In addition, they must evaluate different approaches and options for improving their systems, including gray, green, and data infrastructure investments. Integrated planning is the process of systematically identifying and prioritizing actions and projects to meet CWA obligations. EPA released the Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework to provide guidance on developing integrated plans. The framework identifies the operating principles and essential elements of an integrated plan. It also encourages communities to work with stakeholders to identify and evaluate options to respond to CWA requirements. This report focuses on the essential element of public outreach in the integrated planning process. Two case studies illustrate this process. The information in this report complements the information provided in the companion document Prioritizing Wastewater and Stormwater Projects Using Stakeholder Input. | Communication and Outreach: Engaging Stakeholders, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | engaging-stakeholders public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
National Extension Water Outreach EducationAuthor: University of Wisconsin | Developed/Updated on Date: 2020 Web Link: https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/wateroutreach/ Use Best Education Practices to plan an effective natural resources outreach strategy. Resource and research examples focus on water:
Use social assessment resources to design a natural resources outreach initiative with measurable impacts:
| Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Getting in Step: Engaging Stakeholders in Your Watershed—Second EditionAuthor: U.S. EPA Office of Water | Developed/Updated on Date: May 2013 Web Link: https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/files/stakeholderguide.pdf Stakeholder involvement is more than just holding a public hearing or seeking public comment on a new regulation. Effective stakeholder involvement provides a method for identifying public concerns and values, developing consensus among affected parties, and producing efficient and effective solutions through an open, inclusive process. Managing that process requires some attention to the logistics and synergies of creating and operating a team of diverse people pursuing a common goal. This guide is intended for federal, state, tribal, and local agency personnel, as well as nongovernmental organizations, that are involved in watershed management activities and are building a stakeholder group. The guide can also help private organizations interested in recruiting stakeholders and involving stakeholders in local or regional watershed efforts. | Communication and Outreach: Engaging Stakeholders, Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | engaging-stakeholders outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Getting in Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns—Third EditionAuthor: U.S. EPA Office of Water | Developed/Updated on Date: November 2010 Web Link: https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/files/getnstepguide.pdf Now in its 3rd edition, EPA’s Getting in Step guidance includes information on effective social marketing techniques and social networks to achieve outreach goals and objectives. The guide offers advice on how watershed groups, local governments, and others can maximize the effectiveness of public outreach campaigns to reduce nonpoint source and stormwater pollution and protect the lakes, rivers, streams, and coasts that we treasure. Additionally, the guide references EPA’s Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox, which is an online compendium of resources—including TV, radio, and print ads—to help organizations develop an effective and targeted outreach campaign to reduce pollution in stormwater runoff from herbicides, fertilizers, petroleum products, sediment, and other nonpoint sources. In summary, the guide is intended as a reference that pulls together principles, techniques, and information for effective watershed outreach into a single, user-friendly source. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Fostering Sustainable Behavior: Community-Based Social MarketingAuthor: Doug McKenzie-Mohr, Ph.D. | Developed/Updated on Date: 2011 This online book details how to uncover the barriers that inhibit individuals from engaging in sustainable behaviors. Further, it provides a set of “tools” that social science research has demonstrated to be effective in fostering and maintaining behavior change. Each of these tools in and of its own right is capable of having a substantial impact upon the adoption of more sustainable behaviors. Collectively, they provide a powerful set of instruments with which to encourage and maintain behavior change. This online guide also details how to design and evaluate programs. The strategies detailed here, and the methods suggested in order to implement and evaluate them, form the basis of an emerging field that I refer to as “community-based social marketing.” | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Erase the Waste Campaign—California Storm Water ToolboxAuthor: California Water Boards | Developed/Updated on Date: July 18, 2013 Web Link: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/outreach/erase_waste/ The California Water Boards offers a free multilingual California Storm Water Toolbox, a comprehensive set of educational and outreach tools developed as part of the Board’s Erase the Waste campaign. These action-oriented tools are free to all interested parties and have already been shared with environmental representatives from California and U.S. cities, China, Mexico, and South Korea. The Erase the Waste campaign, sponsored by the California Water Boards, is a public education program, working to reduce harmful storm water pollution and improve the environment of the region’s coastal and inland communities. The campaign started in Los Angeles County, and materials produced during its three-year run have now been packaged here for state and nationwide use. It is built around the theme, Erase the Waste—a positive, empowering theme that encourages all residents and stakeholders to take ownership of their communities, help reduce and prevent storm water pollution from the local landscape and “become part of the pollution solution.” The California Storm Water Toolbox includes the following tools for residents, community and civic groups, educators, municipalities, and public agencies:
| Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
EPA’s Nonpoint Source Outreach ToolboxAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: Last updated March 22, 2017 Web Link: https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/index.html The Nonpoint Source (NPS) Outreach Toolbox is intended for use by state and local agencies and other organizations interested in educating the public on nonpoint source pollution or stormwater runoff. The Toolbox contains a variety of resources to help develop an effective and targeted outreach campaign. | Communication and Outreach: Engaging Stakeholders, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | engaging-stakeholders public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Decision Support for Multi-Benefit Urban Water InfrastructureAuthor: Sasha Rebecca Harris-Lovett | Developed/Updated on Date: Fall 2018 Web Link: http://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/etd/ucb/text/HarrisLovett_berkeley_0028E_18351.pdf This dissertation seeks to support decision-makers in designing and implementing more equitable, holistic, and environmentally-sound urban water infrastructure. Chapter I assesses historical precedents for recycling sewage into drinking water in California to contextualize current concerns and challenges. Water recycling has had a rich and varied history in California; currently, potable water reuse is on the rise. Chapter II develops a legitimacy framework for potable water reuse in California, which facilitates decision-making about technologies that fit into the unique social, political, and cultural contexts of a particular locale. Chapter III provides a popular science look at the practice of potable water reuse, which is unfamiliar to many people and has faced stark public opposition in some areas. Chapter IV focuses on stakeholder perspectives to identify goals and strategies for multi-benefit wastewater treatment, as well as analyzes barriers to achieving these goals. Chapter V employs a quantitative multi-criteria decision analysis paired with stakeholder analysis and scenario planning to evaluate potential nutrient management options for the San Francisco Bay Area in uncertain future conditions. | Communication and Outreach: Engaging Stakeholders, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | engaging-stakeholders public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Community-Based Social Marketing WebsiteAuthor: McKenzie-Mohr & Associates | Developed/Updated on Date: 2019 Web Link: https://www.cbsm.com The cornerstone of sustainable and healthy communities is behavior change. Sustainability requires that individuals and businesses engage in diverse actions, such as reducing waste, increasing water and energy efficiency, altering transportation habits, and protecting native species. Healthy lifestyles require individuals to make smart food choices, exercise, avoid smoking and excessive sun exposure, and engage in a myriad of other actions. Research demonstrates, however, that the traditional approach of using ads, brochures, or websites to encourage behavior change simply doesn’t work. A new approach, community-based social marketing, is now being used effectively in numerous programs across the globe. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach |
Stormwater Master PlanAuthor: City of Grand Rapids, MI | Developed/Updated on Date: January 20, 2014 The Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP) has many purposes but is primarily intended to establish standards with respect to the use and operation of the City of Grand Rapids’ stormwater system; to mitigate flooding; to reduce pollution and sedimentation of the system, adjacent properties, and the environment; and to improve the water quality of our rivers, lakes, and streams. Specifically, the objectives of the SWMP are to: | Funding: Establishing a Plan, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Asset Management, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | establishing-a-plan good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff asset-management long-term-planning public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Manager’s Resource CenterAuthor: Sustainable Communities online | Developed/Updated on Date: 2020 Web Link: https://www.sustainable.org/environment/water/319-stormwater-managers-resource-center-smrc The Stormwater Manager’s Resource Center (SMRC) is designed specifically for stormwater practitioners, local government officials, and others who need technical assistance on stormwater management issues. It is created and maintained by the Center for Watershed Protection. | Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | developing-a-program public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Discharges from Municipal SourcesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2019 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-municipal-sources Polluted stormwater runoff is commonly transported through municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), and then often discharged, untreated, into local water bodies. An MS4 is a conveyance or system of conveyances that is: owned by a state, city, town, village, or other public entity that discharges to waters of the U.S.; designed or used to collect or convey stormwater (e.g., storm drains, pipes, ditches); not a combined sewer; and not part of a sewage treatment plant or publicly owned treatment works (POTW). To prevent harmful pollutants from being washed or dumped into MS4s, certain operators are required to obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and develop stormwater management programs (SWMPs). The SWMP describes the stormwater control practices that will be implemented consistent with permit requirements to minimize the discharge of pollutants from the sewer system. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Storm Smart Schools: A Guide to Integrate Green Stormwater Infrastructure to Meet Regulatory Compliance and Promote Environmental LiteracyAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: 2017 EPA Region III assisted Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) and the City of Newport News with organizing a community-based design charrette at Sedgefield Elementary School. The charrette resulted in the creation of a conceptual site plan that uses green infrastructure practices to address stormwater issues at Sedgefield Elementary. NNPS incorporated outdoor learning into this process, which provided an opportunity to support environmental literacy for students of all ages. This guide serves several purposes. It:
| Funding: Integrating with Other Programs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Public Education and Outreach | integrating-with-other-programs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure public-education-and-outreach |
Quick Resource Guide to the MS4 ProgramAuthor: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Water Resource Center | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2016 This guide was written for municipalities that own and operate an MS4. The guide begins with the history and background of MS4s and regulations. Then it provides an overview of the six minimum control measures (MCMs) of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System MS4 permit and their associated best management practices (BMPs). Examples provided of BMPs are not meant to be the only available solutions—there are many other BMPs. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Prioritizing Wastewater and Stormwater Projects Using Stakeholder InputAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: August 2017 Many communities face complex challenges operating their wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, including meeting Clean Water Act (CWA) obligations under financial constraints. Communities with multiple CWA obligations for their wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), sewer systems, and stormwater infrastructure must prioritize their investments. In addition, they must evaluate different approaches and options for improving their systems, including gray, green, and data infrastructure investments. Integrated planning is the process of systematically identifying and prioritizing actions and projects to meet CWA obligations. EPA released the Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework to provide guidance on developing integrated plans. The framework identifies the operating principles and essential elements of an integrated plan. It also encourages communities to work with stakeholders to identify and evaluate options to respond to CWA requirements. This report describes how communities can use stakeholder input to select and rank criteria and apply those criteria to prioritize stormwater and wastewater projects. Three case studies illustrate this process. | Communication and Outreach: Engaging Stakeholders, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | engaging-stakeholders green-infrastructure long-term-planning public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
MS4 Program Evaluation GuidanceAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2007 Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/ms4guide_withappendixa.pdf An MS4 program evaluation is ultimately based on the requirements in the MS4 permit and commitments made in the stormwater management program (SWMP). These should serve as the primary references for a specific MS4 program evaluation, with this Guidance used as a tool to help assess compliance with the SWMP plan and the permit. The evaluator may also recommend additional activities that should be conducted by the permittee to improve the SWMP. The term evaluation can refer to an audit, inspection, or screening process depending on the level of detail utilized. It is important to keep in mind that this Guidance is not an enforcement “how to” document, but can be used to assist in the enforcement process by describing a process for consistently and accurately assessing and documenting the compliance status of permittees based on permit or SWMP requirements. Notes, checklists, and reports developed as a result of an evaluation will be helpful when justifying and generating enforcement actions. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Minnesota Stormwater ManualAuthor: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Developed/Updated on Date: October 2019 Web Link: https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/Main_Page Throughout the production of the Manual, one singular goal was kept in mind—to produce a useful product that helps the everyday user better manage stormwater. The purpose, goal, vision, and tenets were developed by the original Stormwater Design Team. Although stormwater management to control the pollution of receiving waters has been around in earnest for over 30 years in Minnesota, the advent of many new programs means that guidance is needed more than ever. Such programs as the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Phase I and II program, the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) program, and strong runoff control programs at the local and watershed levels have all contributed to the need for this information to be compiled in a comprehensive, technically sound document. The directive the Manual Sub-Committee received from the SSC was to produce a document that could be used as a single source to guide stormwater managers through the maze of regulations, best management practices (BMPs) designs, models/techniques, and terminology that constitute good stormwater management. It does not address the requirements of other non-stormwater-related regulatory programs that can have an effect on stormwater. Related to this was the charge to produce a manual that does not duplicate the many good sources of information already available. Because Minnesota is fortunate enough to have had many additional tools created over the years, the Manual will often forego detailed explanation of a particular element and send the user directly to another resource via electronic linkage or cited reference. These linked resources provide information that Minnesota stormwater managers can put to use in conjunction with this Minnesota Stormwater Manual. The Manual is intended to be flexible, easily updated, and responsive to the needs of the Minnesota stormwater community. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Measurable Goals Guidance for Phase II Small MS4sAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: Not dated Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/measurablegoals.pdf According to the Stormwater Phase II Rule, small MS4 owners/operators must reduce pollutants in stormwater to the maximum extent practicable (MEP) to protect water quality. The regulations specify that compliance with the MEP requirement can be attained by developing a stormwater management plan that addresses the six minimum control measures described in the stormwater regulations. These six minimum measures are described in detail in a series of fact sheets developed by EPA. One component of the stormwater management program is to select measurable goals to evaluate the effectiveness of individual control measures and the stormwater management program as a whole. This guidance is designed to assist small MS4 operators to comply with the measurable goals stormwater permitting requirements. The guidance presents an approach for MS4 operators to develop measurable goals as part of their stormwater management plan. This guidance is divided into five main parts: | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Financing Green Infrastructure—Is a Community-Based Public-Private Partnership (CBP3) Right for You?Author: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: June 18, 2019 Throughout the United States, communities are struggling to meet the demands of stormwater management requirements. EPA recognizes the need for new and innovative solutions to finance and manage stormwater runoff, especially in urban areas, to achieve and maintain the water quality goals of the Clean Water Act. In order to protect and restore water quality while meeting the challenges of climate adaptation, communities should consider whether a community-based public-private partnership (CBP3) will help achieve their goals when evaluating stormwater financing and infrastructure needs. | Funding: Private Sector Opportunities, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | private-sector-opportunities public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Evaluation of the Role of Public Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement in Stormwater Funding Decisions in New England: Lessons from CommunitiesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2013 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/eval-sw-funding-new-england.pdf This evaluation report describes lessons about the role and design of public outreach and stakeholder engagement strategies related to community stormwater funding decisions. The evaluation is based on the experiences of eleven small and medium-sized communities, primarily—but not exclusively—in New England. The evaluation has two complementary goals: first, to evaluate whether and how public outreach and stakeholder engagement efforts (including the use of consensus-building protocols) influenced the adoption of stormwater funding mechanisms; and second, to draw on the communities’ experiences to identify lessons for other MS4 communities considering stormwater program funding solutions. | Funding: Dedicated Revenue Source, Funding: Establishing a Plan, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | dedicated-revenue-source establishing-a-plan public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
EPA Pilot Project to Increase Use of Green Infrastructure from Documenting Collaborative AgreementAuthor: U.S. Government Accountability Office | Developed/Updated on Date: September 2017 Web Link: https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/687478.pdf Urban stormwater runoff is a major contributor to pollution in U.S. waters. Municipalities historically managed stormwater with gray infrastructure. In 2007, EPA began encouraging the use of green infrastructure to manage stormwater and reduce the need for gray infrastructure. The Government Accountability Office was asked to examine the use of green infrastructure by municipalities to meet EPA’s stormwater requirements. This report (1) describes the extent to which selected municipalities are incorporating and funding green infrastructure in stormwater management efforts; (2) describes what challenges, if any, municipalities reported facing in incorporating green infrastructure into stormwater management efforts; and (3) examines efforts EPA is making to help municipalities use green infrastructure. The Government Accountability Office surveyed two nongeneralizable samples totaling 31 municipalities with stormwater permits or consent decrees for combined sewer overflows and interviewed EPA officials to examine EPA efforts to help municipalities use green infrastructure. The municipalities were randomly selected from lists of municipalities that are required to have permits and have consent decrees. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Public Education and Outreach | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure public-education-and-outreach |
A Strategic Approach to Planning for and Assessing the Effectiveness of Stormwater ProgramsAuthor: California Stormwater Quality Association | Developed/Updated on Date: February 2015 The primary purpose of this guidance document is to establish specific “how to” guidance with examples for managers in planning and assessing their MS4 programs. It approaches effectiveness assessment as an integral part of a comprehensive strategic planning process. It is designed for use by MS4 program managers involved in developing and implementing all aspects of stormwater programs, but it should also be useful to a variety of dischargers regulated under other stormwater permits and programs (e.g., construction and industrial), as well as other environmental managers with a need for guidance on management and assessment principles. A structured approach to planning and assessing stormwater programs can help managers ensure that their programs are properly targeted, determine whether intended results are being efficiently and cost-effectively achieved, relate implementation results to conditions in urban runoff and receiving waters, and, ultimately, help guide managers toward implementation strategies with the greatest opportunity for long-term success. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation, Water Quality Outcomes: Stormwater Monitoring | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program long-term-planning vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation stormwater-monitoring |
MCM 2: Public Participation
| Article Description | Categories | categories_hfilter |
|---|---|---|
Watershed WatchAuthor: Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program | Developed/Updated on Date: 2019 Web Link: http://www.mywatershedwatch.org/ The Watershed Watch Campaign is a public education initiative of the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program (SCVURPPP), an association of fifteen government agencies in Santa Clara Valley. The Campaign is dedicated to raising awareness about protecting watersheds and preventing storm water pollution. This website provides free resources and easy everyday ways to prevent pollution in neighborhood, local creeks, and the Bay. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Phase II Final Rule Public Participation/Involvement Minimum Control Measure Fact Sheet 2.4Author: U.S. EPA Office of Water | Developed/Updated on Date: September 2018 This fact sheet profiles the Public Participation/Involvement minimum control measure, one of six measures the operator of a Phase II regulated small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) is required to include in its stormwater management program to meet the conditions of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. This fact sheet outlines the Phase II Final Rule requirements modified December 9, 2016 and effective on January 9, 2017. It offers some general guidance on how to satisfy them. It is important to keep in mind that the small MS4 operator typically has a great deal of flexibility in determining how to satisfy the minimum control measure requirements in its NPDES permit. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Phase II Final Rule Public Education and Outreach Minimum Control Measure Fact Sheet 2.3Author: U.S. EPA Office of Water | Developed/Updated on Date: September 2018 This fact sheet profiles the Public Education and Outreach minimum control measure, one of six measures an operator of a Phase II-regulated small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) is required to include in its stormwater management program to meet the conditions of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit. This fact sheet outlines the Phase II Final Rule requirements modified December 9, 2016 and effective on January 9, 2017. It offers some general guidance on how to satisfy them. It is important to keep in mind that the regulated small MS4 operator typically has a great deal of flexibility in choosing exactly how to satisfy the minimum control measure requirements in its NPDES permit. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater PlanningAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: August 2017 Many communities face complex challenges operating their wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, including meeting Clean Water Act (CWA) obligations under financial constraints. Communities with multiple CWA obligations for their wastewater treatment plants, sewer systems, and stormwater infrastructure must prioritize their investments. In addition, they must evaluate different approaches and options for improving their systems, including gray, green, and data infrastructure investments. Integrated planning is the process of systematically identifying and prioritizing actions and projects to meet CWA obligations. EPA released the Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework to provide guidance on developing integrated plans. The framework identifies the operating principles and essential elements of an integrated plan. It also encourages communities to work with stakeholders to identify and evaluate options to respond to CWA requirements. This report focuses on the essential element of public outreach in the integrated planning process. Two case studies illustrate this process. The information in this report complements the information provided in the companion document Prioritizing Wastewater and Stormwater Projects Using Stakeholder Input. | Communication and Outreach: Engaging Stakeholders, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | engaging-stakeholders public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
National Extension Water Outreach EducationAuthor: University of Wisconsin | Developed/Updated on Date: 2020 Web Link: https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/wateroutreach/ Use Best Education Practices to plan an effective natural resources outreach strategy. Resource and research examples focus on water:
Use social assessment resources to design a natural resources outreach initiative with measurable impacts:
| Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Getting in Step: Engaging Stakeholders in Your Watershed—Second EditionAuthor: U.S. EPA Office of Water | Developed/Updated on Date: May 2013 Web Link: https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/files/stakeholderguide.pdf Stakeholder involvement is more than just holding a public hearing or seeking public comment on a new regulation. Effective stakeholder involvement provides a method for identifying public concerns and values, developing consensus among affected parties, and producing efficient and effective solutions through an open, inclusive process. Managing that process requires some attention to the logistics and synergies of creating and operating a team of diverse people pursuing a common goal. This guide is intended for federal, state, tribal, and local agency personnel, as well as nongovernmental organizations, that are involved in watershed management activities and are building a stakeholder group. The guide can also help private organizations interested in recruiting stakeholders and involving stakeholders in local or regional watershed efforts. | Communication and Outreach: Engaging Stakeholders, Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | engaging-stakeholders outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Getting in Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns—Third EditionAuthor: U.S. EPA Office of Water | Developed/Updated on Date: November 2010 Web Link: https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/files/getnstepguide.pdf Now in its 3rd edition, EPA’s Getting in Step guidance includes information on effective social marketing techniques and social networks to achieve outreach goals and objectives. The guide offers advice on how watershed groups, local governments, and others can maximize the effectiveness of public outreach campaigns to reduce nonpoint source and stormwater pollution and protect the lakes, rivers, streams, and coasts that we treasure. Additionally, the guide references EPA’s Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox, which is an online compendium of resources—including TV, radio, and print ads—to help organizations develop an effective and targeted outreach campaign to reduce pollution in stormwater runoff from herbicides, fertilizers, petroleum products, sediment, and other nonpoint sources. In summary, the guide is intended as a reference that pulls together principles, techniques, and information for effective watershed outreach into a single, user-friendly source. | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Fostering Sustainable Behavior: Community-Based Social MarketingAuthor: Doug McKenzie-Mohr, Ph.D. | Developed/Updated on Date: 2011 This online book details how to uncover the barriers that inhibit individuals from engaging in sustainable behaviors. Further, it provides a set of “tools” that social science research has demonstrated to be effective in fostering and maintaining behavior change. Each of these tools in and of its own right is capable of having a substantial impact upon the adoption of more sustainable behaviors. Collectively, they provide a powerful set of instruments with which to encourage and maintain behavior change. This online guide also details how to design and evaluate programs. The strategies detailed here, and the methods suggested in order to implement and evaluate them, form the basis of an emerging field that I refer to as “community-based social marketing.” | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Erase the Waste Campaign—California Storm Water ToolboxAuthor: California Water Boards | Developed/Updated on Date: July 18, 2013 Web Link: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/outreach/erase_waste/ The California Water Boards offers a free multilingual California Storm Water Toolbox, a comprehensive set of educational and outreach tools developed as part of the Board’s Erase the Waste campaign. These action-oriented tools are free to all interested parties and have already been shared with environmental representatives from California and U.S. cities, China, Mexico, and South Korea. The Erase the Waste campaign, sponsored by the California Water Boards, is a public education program, working to reduce harmful storm water pollution and improve the environment of the region’s coastal and inland communities. The campaign started in Los Angeles County, and materials produced during its three-year run have now been packaged here for state and nationwide use. It is built around the theme, Erase the Waste—a positive, empowering theme that encourages all residents and stakeholders to take ownership of their communities, help reduce and prevent storm water pollution from the local landscape and “become part of the pollution solution.” The California Storm Water Toolbox includes the following tools for residents, community and civic groups, educators, municipalities, and public agencies:
| Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
EPA’s Nonpoint Source Outreach ToolboxAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: Last updated March 22, 2017 Web Link: https://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/index.html The Nonpoint Source (NPS) Outreach Toolbox is intended for use by state and local agencies and other organizations interested in educating the public on nonpoint source pollution or stormwater runoff. The Toolbox contains a variety of resources to help develop an effective and targeted outreach campaign. | Communication and Outreach: Engaging Stakeholders, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | engaging-stakeholders public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Decision Support for Multi-Benefit Urban Water InfrastructureAuthor: Sasha Rebecca Harris-Lovett | Developed/Updated on Date: Fall 2018 Web Link: http://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/etd/ucb/text/HarrisLovett_berkeley_0028E_18351.pdf This dissertation seeks to support decision-makers in designing and implementing more equitable, holistic, and environmentally-sound urban water infrastructure. Chapter I assesses historical precedents for recycling sewage into drinking water in California to contextualize current concerns and challenges. Water recycling has had a rich and varied history in California; currently, potable water reuse is on the rise. Chapter II develops a legitimacy framework for potable water reuse in California, which facilitates decision-making about technologies that fit into the unique social, political, and cultural contexts of a particular locale. Chapter III provides a popular science look at the practice of potable water reuse, which is unfamiliar to many people and has faced stark public opposition in some areas. Chapter IV focuses on stakeholder perspectives to identify goals and strategies for multi-benefit wastewater treatment, as well as analyzes barriers to achieving these goals. Chapter V employs a quantitative multi-criteria decision analysis paired with stakeholder analysis and scenario planning to evaluate potential nutrient management options for the San Francisco Bay Area in uncertain future conditions. | Communication and Outreach: Engaging Stakeholders, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | engaging-stakeholders public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Master PlanAuthor: City of Grand Rapids, MI | Developed/Updated on Date: January 20, 2014 The Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP) has many purposes but is primarily intended to establish standards with respect to the use and operation of the City of Grand Rapids’ stormwater system; to mitigate flooding; to reduce pollution and sedimentation of the system, adjacent properties, and the environment; and to improve the water quality of our rivers, lakes, and streams. Specifically, the objectives of the SWMP are to: | Funding: Establishing a Plan, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Asset Management, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | establishing-a-plan good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff asset-management long-term-planning public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Manager’s Resource CenterAuthor: Sustainable Communities online | Developed/Updated on Date: 2020 Web Link: https://www.sustainable.org/environment/water/319-stormwater-managers-resource-center-smrc The Stormwater Manager’s Resource Center (SMRC) is designed specifically for stormwater practitioners, local government officials, and others who need technical assistance on stormwater management issues. It is created and maintained by the Center for Watershed Protection. | Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | developing-a-program public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Discharges from Municipal SourcesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2019 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-municipal-sources Polluted stormwater runoff is commonly transported through municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), and then often discharged, untreated, into local water bodies. An MS4 is a conveyance or system of conveyances that is: owned by a state, city, town, village, or other public entity that discharges to waters of the U.S.; designed or used to collect or convey stormwater (e.g., storm drains, pipes, ditches); not a combined sewer; and not part of a sewage treatment plant or publicly owned treatment works (POTW). To prevent harmful pollutants from being washed or dumped into MS4s, certain operators are required to obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and develop stormwater management programs (SWMPs). The SWMP describes the stormwater control practices that will be implemented consistent with permit requirements to minimize the discharge of pollutants from the sewer system. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Storm Smart Cities: Integrating Green Infrastructure into Local Hazard Mitigation PlansAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: March 2018 This Storm Smart Cities guide examines how communities can integrate green infrastructure into their local hazard mitigation plans. It provides a case study of green infrastructure integration efforts in the City of Huntington, West Virginia, and the West Virginia Region 2 Planning & Development Area. This guide serves several purposes. It: | Funding: Establishing a Plan, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Public Participation | establishing-a-plan management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure public-participation |
Quick Resource Guide to the MS4 ProgramAuthor: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Water Resource Center | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2016 This guide was written for municipalities that own and operate an MS4. The guide begins with the history and background of MS4s and regulations. Then it provides an overview of the six minimum control measures (MCMs) of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System MS4 permit and their associated best management practices (BMPs). Examples provided of BMPs are not meant to be the only available solutions—there are many other BMPs. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Prioritizing Wastewater and Stormwater Projects Using Stakeholder InputAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: August 2017 Many communities face complex challenges operating their wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, including meeting Clean Water Act (CWA) obligations under financial constraints. Communities with multiple CWA obligations for their wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), sewer systems, and stormwater infrastructure must prioritize their investments. In addition, they must evaluate different approaches and options for improving their systems, including gray, green, and data infrastructure investments. Integrated planning is the process of systematically identifying and prioritizing actions and projects to meet CWA obligations. EPA released the Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework to provide guidance on developing integrated plans. The framework identifies the operating principles and essential elements of an integrated plan. It also encourages communities to work with stakeholders to identify and evaluate options to respond to CWA requirements. This report describes how communities can use stakeholder input to select and rank criteria and apply those criteria to prioritize stormwater and wastewater projects. Three case studies illustrate this process. | Communication and Outreach: Engaging Stakeholders, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | engaging-stakeholders green-infrastructure long-term-planning public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
MS4 Program Evaluation GuidanceAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2007 Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/ms4guide_withappendixa.pdf An MS4 program evaluation is ultimately based on the requirements in the MS4 permit and commitments made in the stormwater management program (SWMP). These should serve as the primary references for a specific MS4 program evaluation, with this Guidance used as a tool to help assess compliance with the SWMP plan and the permit. The evaluator may also recommend additional activities that should be conducted by the permittee to improve the SWMP. The term evaluation can refer to an audit, inspection, or screening process depending on the level of detail utilized. It is important to keep in mind that this Guidance is not an enforcement “how to” document, but can be used to assist in the enforcement process by describing a process for consistently and accurately assessing and documenting the compliance status of permittees based on permit or SWMP requirements. Notes, checklists, and reports developed as a result of an evaluation will be helpful when justifying and generating enforcement actions. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Minnesota Stormwater ManualAuthor: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Developed/Updated on Date: October 2019 Web Link: https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/Main_Page Throughout the production of the Manual, one singular goal was kept in mind—to produce a useful product that helps the everyday user better manage stormwater. The purpose, goal, vision, and tenets were developed by the original Stormwater Design Team. Although stormwater management to control the pollution of receiving waters has been around in earnest for over 30 years in Minnesota, the advent of many new programs means that guidance is needed more than ever. Such programs as the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Phase I and II program, the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) program, and strong runoff control programs at the local and watershed levels have all contributed to the need for this information to be compiled in a comprehensive, technically sound document. The directive the Manual Sub-Committee received from the SSC was to produce a document that could be used as a single source to guide stormwater managers through the maze of regulations, best management practices (BMPs) designs, models/techniques, and terminology that constitute good stormwater management. It does not address the requirements of other non-stormwater-related regulatory programs that can have an effect on stormwater. Related to this was the charge to produce a manual that does not duplicate the many good sources of information already available. Because Minnesota is fortunate enough to have had many additional tools created over the years, the Manual will often forego detailed explanation of a particular element and send the user directly to another resource via electronic linkage or cited reference. These linked resources provide information that Minnesota stormwater managers can put to use in conjunction with this Minnesota Stormwater Manual. The Manual is intended to be flexible, easily updated, and responsive to the needs of the Minnesota stormwater community. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Measurable Goals Guidance for Phase II Small MS4sAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: Not dated Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/measurablegoals.pdf According to the Stormwater Phase II Rule, small MS4 owners/operators must reduce pollutants in stormwater to the maximum extent practicable (MEP) to protect water quality. The regulations specify that compliance with the MEP requirement can be attained by developing a stormwater management plan that addresses the six minimum control measures described in the stormwater regulations. These six minimum measures are described in detail in a series of fact sheets developed by EPA. One component of the stormwater management program is to select measurable goals to evaluate the effectiveness of individual control measures and the stormwater management program as a whole. This guidance is designed to assist small MS4 operators to comply with the measurable goals stormwater permitting requirements. The guidance presents an approach for MS4 operators to develop measurable goals as part of their stormwater management plan. This guidance is divided into five main parts: | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Financing Green Infrastructure—Is a Community-Based Public-Private Partnership (CBP3) Right for You?Author: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: June 18, 2019 Throughout the United States, communities are struggling to meet the demands of stormwater management requirements. EPA recognizes the need for new and innovative solutions to finance and manage stormwater runoff, especially in urban areas, to achieve and maintain the water quality goals of the Clean Water Act. In order to protect and restore water quality while meeting the challenges of climate adaptation, communities should consider whether a community-based public-private partnership (CBP3) will help achieve their goals when evaluating stormwater financing and infrastructure needs. | Funding: Private Sector Opportunities, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | private-sector-opportunities public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Evaluation of the Role of Public Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement in Stormwater Funding Decisions in New England: Lessons from CommunitiesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2013 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/eval-sw-funding-new-england.pdf This evaluation report describes lessons about the role and design of public outreach and stakeholder engagement strategies related to community stormwater funding decisions. The evaluation is based on the experiences of eleven small and medium-sized communities, primarily—but not exclusively—in New England. The evaluation has two complementary goals: first, to evaluate whether and how public outreach and stakeholder engagement efforts (including the use of consensus-building protocols) influenced the adoption of stormwater funding mechanisms; and second, to draw on the communities’ experiences to identify lessons for other MS4 communities considering stormwater program funding solutions. | Funding: Dedicated Revenue Source, Funding: Establishing a Plan, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | dedicated-revenue-source establishing-a-plan public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
A Strategic Approach to Planning for and Assessing the Effectiveness of Stormwater ProgramsAuthor: California Stormwater Quality Association | Developed/Updated on Date: February 2015 The primary purpose of this guidance document is to establish specific “how to” guidance with examples for managers in planning and assessing their MS4 programs. It approaches effectiveness assessment as an integral part of a comprehensive strategic planning process. It is designed for use by MS4 program managers involved in developing and implementing all aspects of stormwater programs, but it should also be useful to a variety of dischargers regulated under other stormwater permits and programs (e.g., construction and industrial), as well as other environmental managers with a need for guidance on management and assessment principles. A structured approach to planning and assessing stormwater programs can help managers ensure that their programs are properly targeted, determine whether intended results are being efficiently and cost-effectively achieved, relate implementation results to conditions in urban runoff and receiving waters, and, ultimately, help guide managers toward implementation strategies with the greatest opportunity for long-term success. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation, Water Quality Outcomes: Stormwater Monitoring | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program long-term-planning vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation stormwater-monitoring |
MCM 3: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
| Article Description | Categories | categories_hfilter |
|---|---|---|
Model Monitoring Program for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems in Southern CaliforniaAuthor: Stormwater Monitoring Coalition | Developed/Updated on Date: August 2004 This report describes a model monitoring program for receiving waters affected by urban runoff in both wet and dry weather. It provides a common design framework for municipal urban runoff programs and Regional Board staff to use in developing and/or revising program requirements for monitoring receiving waters for impacts, status and trends, toxicity, mass emissions, and source identification. This effort was funded in part by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), prompted by Senate Bill 72 (Kuehl), which addressed the standardization of sampling and analysis protocols in municipal stormwater monitoring programs. The development of the model monitoring program itself was organized through the Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC). | Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Water Quality Outcomes: Stormwater Monitoring | illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination stormwater-monitoring |
Stormwater Master PlanAuthor: City of Grand Rapids, MI | Developed/Updated on Date: January 20, 2014 The Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP) has many purposes but is primarily intended to establish standards with respect to the use and operation of the City of Grand Rapids’ stormwater system; to mitigate flooding; to reduce pollution and sedimentation of the system, adjacent properties, and the environment; and to improve the water quality of our rivers, lakes, and streams. Specifically, the objectives of the SWMP are to: | Funding: Establishing a Plan, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Asset Management, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | establishing-a-plan good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff asset-management long-term-planning public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Discharges from Municipal SourcesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2019 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-municipal-sources Polluted stormwater runoff is commonly transported through municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), and then often discharged, untreated, into local water bodies. An MS4 is a conveyance or system of conveyances that is: owned by a state, city, town, village, or other public entity that discharges to waters of the U.S.; designed or used to collect or convey stormwater (e.g., storm drains, pipes, ditches); not a combined sewer; and not part of a sewage treatment plant or publicly owned treatment works (POTW). To prevent harmful pollutants from being washed or dumped into MS4s, certain operators are required to obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and develop stormwater management programs (SWMPs). The SWMP describes the stormwater control practices that will be implemented consistent with permit requirements to minimize the discharge of pollutants from the sewer system. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Quick Resource Guide to the MS4 ProgramAuthor: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Water Resource Center | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2016 This guide was written for municipalities that own and operate an MS4. The guide begins with the history and background of MS4s and regulations. Then it provides an overview of the six minimum control measures (MCMs) of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System MS4 permit and their associated best management practices (BMPs). Examples provided of BMPs are not meant to be the only available solutions—there are many other BMPs. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
MS4 Program Evaluation GuidanceAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2007 Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/ms4guide_withappendixa.pdf An MS4 program evaluation is ultimately based on the requirements in the MS4 permit and commitments made in the stormwater management program (SWMP). These should serve as the primary references for a specific MS4 program evaluation, with this Guidance used as a tool to help assess compliance with the SWMP plan and the permit. The evaluator may also recommend additional activities that should be conducted by the permittee to improve the SWMP. The term evaluation can refer to an audit, inspection, or screening process depending on the level of detail utilized. It is important to keep in mind that this Guidance is not an enforcement “how to” document, but can be used to assist in the enforcement process by describing a process for consistently and accurately assessing and documenting the compliance status of permittees based on permit or SWMP requirements. Notes, checklists, and reports developed as a result of an evaluation will be helpful when justifying and generating enforcement actions. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Minnesota Stormwater ManualAuthor: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Developed/Updated on Date: October 2019 Web Link: https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/Main_Page Throughout the production of the Manual, one singular goal was kept in mind—to produce a useful product that helps the everyday user better manage stormwater. The purpose, goal, vision, and tenets were developed by the original Stormwater Design Team. Although stormwater management to control the pollution of receiving waters has been around in earnest for over 30 years in Minnesota, the advent of many new programs means that guidance is needed more than ever. Such programs as the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Phase I and II program, the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) program, and strong runoff control programs at the local and watershed levels have all contributed to the need for this information to be compiled in a comprehensive, technically sound document. The directive the Manual Sub-Committee received from the SSC was to produce a document that could be used as a single source to guide stormwater managers through the maze of regulations, best management practices (BMPs) designs, models/techniques, and terminology that constitute good stormwater management. It does not address the requirements of other non-stormwater-related regulatory programs that can have an effect on stormwater. Related to this was the charge to produce a manual that does not duplicate the many good sources of information already available. Because Minnesota is fortunate enough to have had many additional tools created over the years, the Manual will often forego detailed explanation of a particular element and send the user directly to another resource via electronic linkage or cited reference. These linked resources provide information that Minnesota stormwater managers can put to use in conjunction with this Minnesota Stormwater Manual. The Manual is intended to be flexible, easily updated, and responsive to the needs of the Minnesota stormwater community. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Measurable Goals Guidance for Phase II Small MS4sAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: Not dated Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/measurablegoals.pdf According to the Stormwater Phase II Rule, small MS4 owners/operators must reduce pollutants in stormwater to the maximum extent practicable (MEP) to protect water quality. The regulations specify that compliance with the MEP requirement can be attained by developing a stormwater management plan that addresses the six minimum control measures described in the stormwater regulations. These six minimum measures are described in detail in a series of fact sheets developed by EPA. One component of the stormwater management program is to select measurable goals to evaluate the effectiveness of individual control measures and the stormwater management program as a whole. This guidance is designed to assist small MS4 operators to comply with the measurable goals stormwater permitting requirements. The guidance presents an approach for MS4 operators to develop measurable goals as part of their stormwater management plan. This guidance is divided into five main parts: | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
A Strategic Approach to Planning for and Assessing the Effectiveness of Stormwater ProgramsAuthor: California Stormwater Quality Association | Developed/Updated on Date: February 2015 The primary purpose of this guidance document is to establish specific “how to” guidance with examples for managers in planning and assessing their MS4 programs. It approaches effectiveness assessment as an integral part of a comprehensive strategic planning process. It is designed for use by MS4 program managers involved in developing and implementing all aspects of stormwater programs, but it should also be useful to a variety of dischargers regulated under other stormwater permits and programs (e.g., construction and industrial), as well as other environmental managers with a need for guidance on management and assessment principles. A structured approach to planning and assessing stormwater programs can help managers ensure that their programs are properly targeted, determine whether intended results are being efficiently and cost-effectively achieved, relate implementation results to conditions in urban runoff and receiving waters, and, ultimately, help guide managers toward implementation strategies with the greatest opportunity for long-term success. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation, Water Quality Outcomes: Stormwater Monitoring | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program long-term-planning vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation stormwater-monitoring |
MCM 4: Management of Construction Site Runoff
| Article Description | Categories | categories_hfilter |
|---|---|---|
Stormwater Master PlanAuthor: City of Grand Rapids, MI | Developed/Updated on Date: January 20, 2014 The Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP) has many purposes but is primarily intended to establish standards with respect to the use and operation of the City of Grand Rapids’ stormwater system; to mitigate flooding; to reduce pollution and sedimentation of the system, adjacent properties, and the environment; and to improve the water quality of our rivers, lakes, and streams. Specifically, the objectives of the SWMP are to: | Funding: Establishing a Plan, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Asset Management, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | establishing-a-plan good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff asset-management long-term-planning public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Discharges from Municipal SourcesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2019 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-municipal-sources Polluted stormwater runoff is commonly transported through municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), and then often discharged, untreated, into local water bodies. An MS4 is a conveyance or system of conveyances that is: owned by a state, city, town, village, or other public entity that discharges to waters of the U.S.; designed or used to collect or convey stormwater (e.g., storm drains, pipes, ditches); not a combined sewer; and not part of a sewage treatment plant or publicly owned treatment works (POTW). To prevent harmful pollutants from being washed or dumped into MS4s, certain operators are required to obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and develop stormwater management programs (SWMPs). The SWMP describes the stormwater control practices that will be implemented consistent with permit requirements to minimize the discharge of pollutants from the sewer system. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Quick Resource Guide to the MS4 ProgramAuthor: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Water Resource Center | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2016 This guide was written for municipalities that own and operate an MS4. The guide begins with the history and background of MS4s and regulations. Then it provides an overview of the six minimum control measures (MCMs) of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System MS4 permit and their associated best management practices (BMPs). Examples provided of BMPs are not meant to be the only available solutions—there are many other BMPs. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
MS4 Program Evaluation GuidanceAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2007 Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/ms4guide_withappendixa.pdf An MS4 program evaluation is ultimately based on the requirements in the MS4 permit and commitments made in the stormwater management program (SWMP). These should serve as the primary references for a specific MS4 program evaluation, with this Guidance used as a tool to help assess compliance with the SWMP plan and the permit. The evaluator may also recommend additional activities that should be conducted by the permittee to improve the SWMP. The term evaluation can refer to an audit, inspection, or screening process depending on the level of detail utilized. It is important to keep in mind that this Guidance is not an enforcement “how to” document, but can be used to assist in the enforcement process by describing a process for consistently and accurately assessing and documenting the compliance status of permittees based on permit or SWMP requirements. Notes, checklists, and reports developed as a result of an evaluation will be helpful when justifying and generating enforcement actions. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Minnesota Stormwater ManualAuthor: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Developed/Updated on Date: October 2019 Web Link: https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/Main_Page Throughout the production of the Manual, one singular goal was kept in mind—to produce a useful product that helps the everyday user better manage stormwater. The purpose, goal, vision, and tenets were developed by the original Stormwater Design Team. Although stormwater management to control the pollution of receiving waters has been around in earnest for over 30 years in Minnesota, the advent of many new programs means that guidance is needed more than ever. Such programs as the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Phase I and II program, the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) program, and strong runoff control programs at the local and watershed levels have all contributed to the need for this information to be compiled in a comprehensive, technically sound document. The directive the Manual Sub-Committee received from the SSC was to produce a document that could be used as a single source to guide stormwater managers through the maze of regulations, best management practices (BMPs) designs, models/techniques, and terminology that constitute good stormwater management. It does not address the requirements of other non-stormwater-related regulatory programs that can have an effect on stormwater. Related to this was the charge to produce a manual that does not duplicate the many good sources of information already available. Because Minnesota is fortunate enough to have had many additional tools created over the years, the Manual will often forego detailed explanation of a particular element and send the user directly to another resource via electronic linkage or cited reference. These linked resources provide information that Minnesota stormwater managers can put to use in conjunction with this Minnesota Stormwater Manual. The Manual is intended to be flexible, easily updated, and responsive to the needs of the Minnesota stormwater community. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Measurable Goals Guidance for Phase II Small MS4sAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: Not dated Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/measurablegoals.pdf According to the Stormwater Phase II Rule, small MS4 owners/operators must reduce pollutants in stormwater to the maximum extent practicable (MEP) to protect water quality. The regulations specify that compliance with the MEP requirement can be attained by developing a stormwater management plan that addresses the six minimum control measures described in the stormwater regulations. These six minimum measures are described in detail in a series of fact sheets developed by EPA. One component of the stormwater management program is to select measurable goals to evaluate the effectiveness of individual control measures and the stormwater management program as a whole. This guidance is designed to assist small MS4 operators to comply with the measurable goals stormwater permitting requirements. The guidance presents an approach for MS4 operators to develop measurable goals as part of their stormwater management plan. This guidance is divided into five main parts: | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
A Strategic Approach to Planning for and Assessing the Effectiveness of Stormwater ProgramsAuthor: California Stormwater Quality Association | Developed/Updated on Date: February 2015 The primary purpose of this guidance document is to establish specific “how to” guidance with examples for managers in planning and assessing their MS4 programs. It approaches effectiveness assessment as an integral part of a comprehensive strategic planning process. It is designed for use by MS4 program managers involved in developing and implementing all aspects of stormwater programs, but it should also be useful to a variety of dischargers regulated under other stormwater permits and programs (e.g., construction and industrial), as well as other environmental managers with a need for guidance on management and assessment principles. A structured approach to planning and assessing stormwater programs can help managers ensure that their programs are properly targeted, determine whether intended results are being efficiently and cost-effectively achieved, relate implementation results to conditions in urban runoff and receiving waters, and, ultimately, help guide managers toward implementation strategies with the greatest opportunity for long-term success. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation, Water Quality Outcomes: Stormwater Monitoring | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program long-term-planning vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation stormwater-monitoring |
MCM 5: Management of Post-Construction Runoff
| Article Description | Categories | categories_hfilter |
|---|---|---|
Urban Stormwater BMP Performance MonitoringAuthor: Geosyntec Consultants and Wright Water Engineers, Inc. | Developed/Updated on Date: October 2009 Web Link: http://www.bmpdatabase.org/Docs/2009%20Stormwater%20BMP%20Monitoring%20Manual.pdf This Manual provides guidance for all stages of BMP monitoring programs ranging from the early stages of study design to the end stages of data interpretation and reporting. Guidance is provided for monitoring a broad range of individual BMPs as well as overall site monitoring with multiple distributed BMPs, such as is the case with LID sites. This Manual focuses primarily on the collection, reporting, and analysis of water quantity and quality measurements at the heart of quantitative BMP efficiency projects. It does not address in detail sediment sampling methods and techniques, biological assessment, monitoring of receiving waters, monitoring of groundwater, streambank erosion, channel instability, channel morphology, or other activities that in many circumstances may be as, or more, useful for measuring and monitoring water quality for assessing BMP efficiency. In some cases, references for additional information on these subjects have been provided. The 2002 version of this monitoring manual was developed to promote collection of more useful and representative data associated with BMP studies, as well as more consistent reporting of monitoring results appropriate for inclusion in the International Stormwater BMP Database. Since that time, both the International Stormwater BMP Database and stormwater management practices have continued to evolve, prompting this second release of the manual. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Water Quality Outcomes: Stormwater Monitoring | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff stormwater-monitoring |
Urban Street Stormwater GuideAuthor: National Association of City Transportation Official | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2017 Web Link: https://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-stormwater-guide/stormwater-streets/ The Urban Street Stormwater Guide provides cities with national best practices for sustainable stormwater management in the public right-of-way, including core principles about the purpose of streets, strategies for building inter-departmental partnerships around sustainable infrastructure, technical design details for siting and building bioretention facilities, and a visual language for communicating the benefits of such projects. The guide sheds light on effective policy and programmatic approaches to starting and scaling up green infrastructure, provides insight on innovative street design strategies, and proposes a framework for measuring performance of streets comprehensively. | Funding: Integrating with Other Programs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | integrating-with-other-programs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
Teach, Learn, Grow: The Value of Green Infrastructure in SchoolyardsAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: 2017 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/teach-learn-grow-value-green-infrastructure-schoolyards In this webcast, speakers from Green Schoolyards America, the Wichita State University Environmental Finance Center, and The Children & Nature Network discuss the multiple benefits of integrating green infrastructure practices into America’s schoolyards, and provide attendees with on-the-ground case studies and tools that can be used to create or enhance green schoolyard initiatives in their own communities. | Funding: Integrating with Other Programs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | integrating-with-other-programs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
SUSTAIN—A Framework for Placement of Best Management Practices in Urban Watersheds to Protect Water QualityAuthor: U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development | Developed/Updated on Date: September 2009 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/sustain_complex_tools.pdf The U.S. EPA has been working since 2003 to develop such a decision-support system. The resulting modeling framework is called the System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis INtegration (SUSTAIN). The development of SUSTAIN represents an intensive effort by EPA to create a tool for evaluating, selecting, and placing BMPs in an urban watershed on the basis of user-defined cost and effectiveness criteria. SUSTAIN provides a public domain tool capable of evaluating the optimal location, type, and cost of stormwater BMPs needed to meet water quality goals. It is a tool designed to provide critically needed support to watershed practitioners at all levels in developing stormwater management evaluations and cost optimizations to meet their existing program needs. Due to the complexity of the integrated framework for watershed analysis and planning, users are expected to have a practical understanding of watershed and BMP modeling processes, and calibration and validation techniques. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Water Quality Outcomes: Watershed-Based Models | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure watershed-based-models |
Stormwater Master PlanAuthor: City of Grand Rapids, MI | Developed/Updated on Date: January 20, 2014 The Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP) has many purposes but is primarily intended to establish standards with respect to the use and operation of the City of Grand Rapids’ stormwater system; to mitigate flooding; to reduce pollution and sedimentation of the system, adjacent properties, and the environment; and to improve the water quality of our rivers, lakes, and streams. Specifically, the objectives of the SWMP are to: | Funding: Establishing a Plan, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Asset Management, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | establishing-a-plan good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff asset-management long-term-planning public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Discharges from Municipal SourcesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2019 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-municipal-sources Polluted stormwater runoff is commonly transported through municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), and then often discharged, untreated, into local water bodies. An MS4 is a conveyance or system of conveyances that is: owned by a state, city, town, village, or other public entity that discharges to waters of the U.S.; designed or used to collect or convey stormwater (e.g., storm drains, pipes, ditches); not a combined sewer; and not part of a sewage treatment plant or publicly owned treatment works (POTW). To prevent harmful pollutants from being washed or dumped into MS4s, certain operators are required to obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and develop stormwater management programs (SWMPs). The SWMP describes the stormwater control practices that will be implemented consistent with permit requirements to minimize the discharge of pollutants from the sewer system. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Performance AnalysisAuthor: U.S. EPA Region 1 | Developed/Updated on Date: March 2010 Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/region1/npdes/stormwater/assets/pdfs/BMP-Performance-Analysis-Report.pdf The purpose of this project is to generate long-term cumulative performance information for several types of stormwater best management practices (BMPs). The information can be used to provide estimates of long-term cumulative efficiencies for several types of BMPs, according to their sizing. The curves reflect pollutant removal performance of BMPs designed and maintained in accordance with Massachusetts stormwater standards. Developing a BMP rating curve involved several major steps: (1) selecting an appropriate long-term precipitation record (data and location) that is representative of a major urbanized area within the New England region, (2) generating hydrograph and pollutant time series using a land-based hydrologic and water quality model, (3) simulating BMP hydraulic and treatment processes in BMP models, and (4) creating BMP performance curves on the basis of BMP model simulation results. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Water Quality Outcomes: Watershed-Based Models | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure watershed-based-models |
Storm Water Management ModelAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: March 19, 2020 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/water-research/storm-water-management-model-swmm The Storm Water Management Model is a simulation model that communities can use for stormwater runoff reduction planning, analysis, and the design of combined sewers and other drainage systems. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
Storm Smart Schools: A Guide to Integrate Green Stormwater Infrastructure to Meet Regulatory Compliance and Promote Environmental LiteracyAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: 2017 EPA Region III assisted Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) and the City of Newport News with organizing a community-based design charrette at Sedgefield Elementary School. The charrette resulted in the creation of a conceptual site plan that uses green infrastructure practices to address stormwater issues at Sedgefield Elementary. NNPS incorporated outdoor learning into this process, which provided an opportunity to support environmental literacy for students of all ages. This guide serves several purposes. It:
| Funding: Integrating with Other Programs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Public Education and Outreach | integrating-with-other-programs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure public-education-and-outreach |
Storm Smart Cities: Integrating Green Infrastructure into Local Hazard Mitigation PlansAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: March 2018 This Storm Smart Cities guide examines how communities can integrate green infrastructure into their local hazard mitigation plans. It provides a case study of green infrastructure integration efforts in the City of Huntington, West Virginia, and the West Virginia Region 2 Planning & Development Area. This guide serves several purposes. It: | Funding: Establishing a Plan, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Public Participation | establishing-a-plan management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure public-participation |
Regional and Municipal Stormwater Management: A Comprehensive ApproachAuthor: Harvard Law School | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2014 This report analyzes options for addressing stormwater pollution at both the regional and municipal level. The report recommends that municipalities adopt green infrastructure as a stormwater pollution reduction strategy and provides exemplary code provisions that best encourage local green infrastructure development. The report also recommends that municipalities consider addressing stormwater pollution in a more comprehensive manner through participation in a regional program. Of the numerous options for regionalizing stormwater management, we recommend a hybrid approach that collects a fee for basic maintenance/installation costs and sets up a cap and trade system. The hybrid system combines the benefits of a cap and trade program with the funding sources of a fee program, helps to ensure the goal of decreased stormwater pollution in a comprehensive and cost-effective manner, and best deals with the differences in legal codes between municipalities. By accounting for differences in municipalities, a hybrid approach allows for growth by making it easier to add new municipalities and large property owners to the program. | Funding: Establishing a Plan, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | establishing-a-plan management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
Quick Resource Guide to the MS4 ProgramAuthor: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Water Resource Center | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2016 This guide was written for municipalities that own and operate an MS4. The guide begins with the history and background of MS4s and regulations. Then it provides an overview of the six minimum control measures (MCMs) of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System MS4 permit and their associated best management practices (BMPs). Examples provided of BMPs are not meant to be the only available solutions—there are many other BMPs. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Post-Construction Performance Standards & Water Quality-Based Requirements: A Compendium of Permitting ApproachesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2014 Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/sw_ms4_compendium.pdf This compendium presents examples of different permitting approaches that EPA found in its nationwide review by describing, and in some cases excerpting, language from permits. The compendium is divided into two major sections. Section A provides examples of permits that implement numeric post-construction performance and/or design standards, and Section B presents different permitting approaches to address impaired waters and total maximum daily loads. Note that a number of the permits identified in the compendium are featured in more than one of the categories. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
New Jersey Stormwater Best Management Practices ManualAuthor: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Watershed Management | Developed/Updated on Date: April 2004, Last Revised November 2018 Web Link: https://www.njstormwater.org/bmp_manual2.htm The New Jersey Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual (BMP manual) was developed to provide guidance to address the standards in the Stormwater Management Rules, N.J.A.C. 7:8 and provides examples of ways to meet the standards. The methods referenced in the BMP manual are one way of achieving the standards. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure developing-a-program vision-and-goals |
National Stormwater CalculatorAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 10, 2020 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/water-research/national-stormwater-calculator The National Stormwater Calculator (SWC) is a desktop application that estimates the annual amount of rainwater and frequency of runoff from a specific site anywhere in the United States (including Puerto Rico). SWC allows users to learn about the ways that green infrastructure practices, like rain gardens, can prevent water pollution in their neighborhoods. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
MS4 Program Evaluation GuidanceAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2007 Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/ms4guide_withappendixa.pdf An MS4 program evaluation is ultimately based on the requirements in the MS4 permit and commitments made in the stormwater management program (SWMP). These should serve as the primary references for a specific MS4 program evaluation, with this Guidance used as a tool to help assess compliance with the SWMP plan and the permit. The evaluator may also recommend additional activities that should be conducted by the permittee to improve the SWMP. The term evaluation can refer to an audit, inspection, or screening process depending on the level of detail utilized. It is important to keep in mind that this Guidance is not an enforcement “how to” document, but can be used to assist in the enforcement process by describing a process for consistently and accurately assessing and documenting the compliance status of permittees based on permit or SWMP requirements. Notes, checklists, and reports developed as a result of an evaluation will be helpful when justifying and generating enforcement actions. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Minnesota Stormwater ManualAuthor: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Developed/Updated on Date: October 2019 Web Link: https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/Main_Page Throughout the production of the Manual, one singular goal was kept in mind—to produce a useful product that helps the everyday user better manage stormwater. The purpose, goal, vision, and tenets were developed by the original Stormwater Design Team. Although stormwater management to control the pollution of receiving waters has been around in earnest for over 30 years in Minnesota, the advent of many new programs means that guidance is needed more than ever. Such programs as the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Phase I and II program, the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) program, and strong runoff control programs at the local and watershed levels have all contributed to the need for this information to be compiled in a comprehensive, technically sound document. The directive the Manual Sub-Committee received from the SSC was to produce a document that could be used as a single source to guide stormwater managers through the maze of regulations, best management practices (BMPs) designs, models/techniques, and terminology that constitute good stormwater management. It does not address the requirements of other non-stormwater-related regulatory programs that can have an effect on stormwater. Related to this was the charge to produce a manual that does not duplicate the many good sources of information already available. Because Minnesota is fortunate enough to have had many additional tools created over the years, the Manual will often forego detailed explanation of a particular element and send the user directly to another resource via electronic linkage or cited reference. These linked resources provide information that Minnesota stormwater managers can put to use in conjunction with this Minnesota Stormwater Manual. The Manual is intended to be flexible, easily updated, and responsive to the needs of the Minnesota stormwater community. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Measurable Goals Guidance for Phase II Small MS4sAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: Not dated Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/measurablegoals.pdf According to the Stormwater Phase II Rule, small MS4 owners/operators must reduce pollutants in stormwater to the maximum extent practicable (MEP) to protect water quality. The regulations specify that compliance with the MEP requirement can be attained by developing a stormwater management plan that addresses the six minimum control measures described in the stormwater regulations. These six minimum measures are described in detail in a series of fact sheets developed by EPA. One component of the stormwater management program is to select measurable goals to evaluate the effectiveness of individual control measures and the stormwater management program as a whole. This guidance is designed to assist small MS4 operators to comply with the measurable goals stormwater permitting requirements. The guidance presents an approach for MS4 operators to develop measurable goals as part of their stormwater management plan. This guidance is divided into five main parts: | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure Municipal Handbook: Green StreetsAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: December 2008 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-10/documents/gi_munichandbook_green_streets_0.pdf Effective road drainage, translated as moving stormwater into the conveyance system quickly, has been a design priority while opportunities for enhanced environmental management have been overlooked, especially in the urban environment. Roads present many opportunities for green infrastructure application. One principle of green infrastructure involves reducing and treating stormwater close to its source. Urban transportation right-of-ways integrated with green techniques are often called “green streets.” Green streets achieve multiple benefits, such as improved water quality and more livable communities, through the integration of stormwater treatment techniques that use natural processes and landscaping. | Funding: Integrating with Other Programs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | integrating-with-other-programs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
Long-Term Performance and Life-Cycle Costs of Stormwater Best Management PracticesAuthor: Transportation Research Board | Developed/Updated on Date: March 23, 2016 Web Link: http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/171471.aspx The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies developed a spreadsheet-based long-term performance and life-cycle best management practice cost tool that is easy to use and facilitates ‘what-if’ comparisons between best management practice scenarios. | Funding: Program Costs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Asset Management, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning | program-costs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff asset-management long-term-planning |
Integrated Decision Support Tool (i-DST)Author: Colorado School of Mines | Developed/Updated on Date: Under development Web Link: http://inside.mines.edu/iDST-home The Colorado School of Mines is developing the Integrated Decision Support Tool (i-DST). It is a decision support tool for managers implementing grey, green, and hybrid water infrastructure. The tool will include the following elements: | Funding: Program Costs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff | program-costs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff |
Greening the Streetscape: Complete Streets and Stormwater ManagementAuthor: Smart Growth America | Developed/Updated on Date: July 26, 2017 The challenge of managing stormwater is exacerbated by both increased rainfall and aging infrastructure. City governments, as well as residents who cannot afford to move, bear the brunt of the expense. Fortunately, stormwater management through Green Streets infrastructure offers promising solutions that can be carried out in conjunction with Complete Streets. When cities or private developers are retrofitting or redesigning streets, there is a confluence of opportunities to implement both stormwater improvement projects as well as Complete Streets network enhancements. Together, both Green Streets and Complete Streets initiatives work to improve the economic, equity, and environmental impacts of the street network all while creating safer, more vibrant streets. | Funding: Integrating with Other Programs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | integrating-with-other-programs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
Green Infrastructure WizardAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: July 9, 2019 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/sustainability/giwiz The Green Infrastructure Wizard is a web application that provides communities with information about EPA green infrastructure tools and resources. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
Green Infrastructure Modeling ToolkitAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: October 23, 2018 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/water-research/green-infrastructure-modeling-toolkit EPA has developed innovative models, tools, and technologies for communities to manage water runoff in urban and other environments. The resources in this toolkit incorporate green or a combination of green and gray infrastructure practices to help communities manage their water resources in a more sustainable way, increasing resilience to future changes. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure long-term-planning |
Green Infrastructure in Parks: A Guide to Collaboration, Funding, and Community EngagementAuthor: U.S. EPA Office of Water | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2017 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-05/documents/gi_parksplaybook_2017-05-01_508.pdf This guide offers information on why partnerships between stormwater managers and parks managers can be beneficial and how to create such partnerships. The guide presents an overview of green infrastructure, describes practices that can be used to manage stormwater in parks, and identifies factors that influence the selection of appropriate green infrastructure practices. It includes recommendations on the types of projects that are most likely to attract positive attention, funding, and the widest range of benefits. The guide is designed to provide you with a stepwise approach for building relationships with potential partners and includes information on how to identify and engage partners, build relationships, involve the community, leverage funding opportunities, and identify green infrastructure opportunities. Case studies are included to illustrate the approaches. For those who wish to go deeper into a topic, the guide includes short descriptions and links to external resources that provide more detail on the material presented within. | Funding: Integrating with Other Programs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning | integrating-with-other-programs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure long-term-planning |
Green Infrastructure Case StudiesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: August 2010 Web Link: https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P100FTEM.PDF?Dockey=P100FTEM.PDF This report presents the common trends in how 12 local governments developed and implemented stormwater policies to support green infrastructure. The local policies examined in this paper include interagency cooperation, enforcement and management issues, and integration with state and federal regulations. While a strong motivation for these policies and programs is innovation in stormwater management, many communities are moving past the era of single objective spending and investing in runoff reduction and stormwater management strategies that have multiple benefits. Green infrastructure approaches have a range of benefits for the social, environmental, and economic conditions of a community. Not only do these case studies include success stories for building a comprehensive green infrastructure program, but they also provide insight into the barriers and failures these communities experienced while trying to create a stormwater management system that includes more green infrastructure approaches. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
EPA Pilot Project to Increase Use of Green Infrastructure from Documenting Collaborative AgreementAuthor: U.S. Government Accountability Office | Developed/Updated on Date: September 2017 Web Link: https://www.gao.gov/assets/690/687478.pdf Urban stormwater runoff is a major contributor to pollution in U.S. waters. Municipalities historically managed stormwater with gray infrastructure. In 2007, EPA began encouraging the use of green infrastructure to manage stormwater and reduce the need for gray infrastructure. The Government Accountability Office was asked to examine the use of green infrastructure by municipalities to meet EPA’s stormwater requirements. This report (1) describes the extent to which selected municipalities are incorporating and funding green infrastructure in stormwater management efforts; (2) describes what challenges, if any, municipalities reported facing in incorporating green infrastructure into stormwater management efforts; and (3) examines efforts EPA is making to help municipalities use green infrastructure. The Government Accountability Office surveyed two nongeneralizable samples totaling 31 municipalities with stormwater permits or consent decrees for combined sewer overflows and interviewed EPA officials to examine EPA efforts to help municipalities use green infrastructure. The municipalities were randomly selected from lists of municipalities that are required to have permits and have consent decrees. | Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure, Public Education and Outreach | management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure public-education-and-outreach |
City Parks, Clean Water: Making Great Places Using Green InfrastructureAuthor: Trust for Public Land | Developed/Updated on Date: 2016 Web Link: https://www.tpl.org/sites/default/files/City%20Parks%20Clean%20Water%20report_0.pdf This study shines a light on the successes and challenges of water-smart parks, looking at both the technologies and the political issues involved in using green infrastructure to make our cities more desirable, more livable, and more successful. | Funding: Integrating with Other Programs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | integrating-with-other-programs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
City Green: Innovative Green Infrastructure Solutions for Downtown and Infill LocationsAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: 2016 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/city_green_0.pdf This publication is for local governments, private developers, and other stakeholders who help shape redevelopment projects in downtowns and infill locations where development has already occurred. It provides inspiration and helps identify successful strategies and lessons learned for overcoming common barriers to using green infrastructure in these contexts. The examples could encourage cities to adopt policies that would expand the number of projects incorporating similar green infrastructure approaches. Twelve case studies showcase projects from around the country that have overcome many common challenges to green infrastructure at sites surrounded by existing development and infrastructure. In these cases, space is at a premium, and soil conditions are often unknown or unsuitable for infiltration. The case studies help identify successful strategies and lessons learned for overcoming common problems. | Funding: Integrating with Other Programs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Green Infrastructure | integrating-with-other-programs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff green-infrastructure |
A Strategic Approach to Planning for and Assessing the Effectiveness of Stormwater ProgramsAuthor: California Stormwater Quality Association | Developed/Updated on Date: February 2015 The primary purpose of this guidance document is to establish specific “how to” guidance with examples for managers in planning and assessing their MS4 programs. It approaches effectiveness assessment as an integral part of a comprehensive strategic planning process. It is designed for use by MS4 program managers involved in developing and implementing all aspects of stormwater programs, but it should also be useful to a variety of dischargers regulated under other stormwater permits and programs (e.g., construction and industrial), as well as other environmental managers with a need for guidance on management and assessment principles. A structured approach to planning and assessing stormwater programs can help managers ensure that their programs are properly targeted, determine whether intended results are being efficiently and cost-effectively achieved, relate implementation results to conditions in urban runoff and receiving waters, and, ultimately, help guide managers toward implementation strategies with the greatest opportunity for long-term success. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation, Water Quality Outcomes: Stormwater Monitoring | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program long-term-planning vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation stormwater-monitoring |
(Re)Building Downtown: A Guidebook for RevitalizationAuthor: Smart Growth America | Developed/Updated on Date: December 2015 Web Link: https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/app/legacy/documents/rebuilding-downtown.pdff (Re)Building Downtown: A Guidebook for Revitalization is a resource for local elected officials who want to reinvigorate and strengthen neighborhood centers of economy, culture, and history through a smart growth approach to development. | Funding: Integrating with Other Programs, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff | integrating-with-other-programs management-of-post-construction-site-runoff |
“Full Delivery” Contract ModelAuthor: MOST Center | Developed/Updated on Date: 2017 Web Link: https://youtu.be/zrpQnBPi6MI Anne Arundel County, Maryland, launched a first-of-its-kind contract system for implementing stormwater projects in order to comply with federal permits. The County’s $3.8 million “full delivery of water quality improvements” contract was competed via a bidding process, and payment to the winning firm will be made upon successful project completion. This system enables the County to maintain oversight while catalyzing markets to find innovation and cost efficiencies. Erik Michelsen, Administrator of the County’s Watershed Protection and Restoration Program, describes how this system benefits both the government and the private contractor, the learning curve for public procurement and regulatory departments, and the potential for stormwater to mimic the mitigation banking model in which restoration practices are put into place before impact occurs. | Funding: Private Sector Opportunities, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff | private-sector-opportunities management-of-post-construction-site-runoff |
MCM 6: Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations
| Article Description | Categories | categories_hfilter |
|---|---|---|
Stormwater Master PlanAuthor: City of Grand Rapids, MI | Developed/Updated on Date: January 20, 2014 The Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP) has many purposes but is primarily intended to establish standards with respect to the use and operation of the City of Grand Rapids’ stormwater system; to mitigate flooding; to reduce pollution and sedimentation of the system, adjacent properties, and the environment; and to improve the water quality of our rivers, lakes, and streams. Specifically, the objectives of the SWMP are to: | Funding: Establishing a Plan, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Operations: Asset Management, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | establishing-a-plan good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff asset-management long-term-planning public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Stormwater Discharges from Municipal SourcesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2019 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-municipal-sources Polluted stormwater runoff is commonly transported through municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), and then often discharged, untreated, into local water bodies. An MS4 is a conveyance or system of conveyances that is: owned by a state, city, town, village, or other public entity that discharges to waters of the U.S.; designed or used to collect or convey stormwater (e.g., storm drains, pipes, ditches); not a combined sewer; and not part of a sewage treatment plant or publicly owned treatment works (POTW). To prevent harmful pollutants from being washed or dumped into MS4s, certain operators are required to obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and develop stormwater management programs (SWMPs). The SWMP describes the stormwater control practices that will be implemented consistent with permit requirements to minimize the discharge of pollutants from the sewer system. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Quick Resource Guide to the MS4 ProgramAuthor: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission Water Resource Center | Developed/Updated on Date: June 2016 This guide was written for municipalities that own and operate an MS4. The guide begins with the history and background of MS4s and regulations. Then it provides an overview of the six minimum control measures (MCMs) of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System MS4 permit and their associated best management practices (BMPs). Examples provided of BMPs are not meant to be the only available solutions—there are many other BMPs. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
MS4 Program Evaluation GuidanceAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: January 2007 Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/ms4guide_withappendixa.pdf An MS4 program evaluation is ultimately based on the requirements in the MS4 permit and commitments made in the stormwater management program (SWMP). These should serve as the primary references for a specific MS4 program evaluation, with this Guidance used as a tool to help assess compliance with the SWMP plan and the permit. The evaluator may also recommend additional activities that should be conducted by the permittee to improve the SWMP. The term evaluation can refer to an audit, inspection, or screening process depending on the level of detail utilized. It is important to keep in mind that this Guidance is not an enforcement “how to” document, but can be used to assist in the enforcement process by describing a process for consistently and accurately assessing and documenting the compliance status of permittees based on permit or SWMP requirements. Notes, checklists, and reports developed as a result of an evaluation will be helpful when justifying and generating enforcement actions. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Minnesota Stormwater ManualAuthor: Minnesota Pollution Control Agency | Developed/Updated on Date: October 2019 Web Link: https://stormwater.pca.state.mn.us/index.php/Main_Page Throughout the production of the Manual, one singular goal was kept in mind—to produce a useful product that helps the everyday user better manage stormwater. The purpose, goal, vision, and tenets were developed by the original Stormwater Design Team. Although stormwater management to control the pollution of receiving waters has been around in earnest for over 30 years in Minnesota, the advent of many new programs means that guidance is needed more than ever. Such programs as the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Phase I and II program, the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) program, and strong runoff control programs at the local and watershed levels have all contributed to the need for this information to be compiled in a comprehensive, technically sound document. The directive the Manual Sub-Committee received from the SSC was to produce a document that could be used as a single source to guide stormwater managers through the maze of regulations, best management practices (BMPs) designs, models/techniques, and terminology that constitute good stormwater management. It does not address the requirements of other non-stormwater-related regulatory programs that can have an effect on stormwater. Related to this was the charge to produce a manual that does not duplicate the many good sources of information already available. Because Minnesota is fortunate enough to have had many additional tools created over the years, the Manual will often forego detailed explanation of a particular element and send the user directly to another resource via electronic linkage or cited reference. These linked resources provide information that Minnesota stormwater managers can put to use in conjunction with this Minnesota Stormwater Manual. The Manual is intended to be flexible, easily updated, and responsive to the needs of the Minnesota stormwater community. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
Measurable Goals Guidance for Phase II Small MS4sAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: Not dated Web Link: https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/measurablegoals.pdf According to the Stormwater Phase II Rule, small MS4 owners/operators must reduce pollutants in stormwater to the maximum extent practicable (MEP) to protect water quality. The regulations specify that compliance with the MEP requirement can be attained by developing a stormwater management plan that addresses the six minimum control measures described in the stormwater regulations. These six minimum measures are described in detail in a series of fact sheets developed by EPA. One component of the stormwater management program is to select measurable goals to evaluate the effectiveness of individual control measures and the stormwater management program as a whole. This guidance is designed to assist small MS4 operators to comply with the measurable goals stormwater permitting requirements. The guidance presents an approach for MS4 operators to develop measurable goals as part of their stormwater management plan. This guidance is divided into five main parts: | Communication and Outreach: Outreach Campaigns, Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation | outreach-campaigns good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation |
A Strategic Approach to Planning for and Assessing the Effectiveness of Stormwater ProgramsAuthor: California Stormwater Quality Association | Developed/Updated on Date: February 2015 The primary purpose of this guidance document is to establish specific “how to” guidance with examples for managers in planning and assessing their MS4 programs. It approaches effectiveness assessment as an integral part of a comprehensive strategic planning process. It is designed for use by MS4 program managers involved in developing and implementing all aspects of stormwater programs, but it should also be useful to a variety of dischargers regulated under other stormwater permits and programs (e.g., construction and industrial), as well as other environmental managers with a need for guidance on management and assessment principles. A structured approach to planning and assessing stormwater programs can help managers ensure that their programs are properly targeted, determine whether intended results are being efficiently and cost-effectively achieved, relate implementation results to conditions in urban runoff and receiving waters, and, ultimately, help guide managers toward implementation strategies with the greatest opportunity for long-term success. | Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Management of Construction Site Runoff, Management of Post-Construction Site Runoff, Program Goals and Management: Developing a Program, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Program Goals and Management: Vision and Goals, Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation, Water Quality Outcomes: Stormwater Monitoring | good-housekeeping-in-municipal-operations illicit-discharge-detection-and-elimination management-of-construction-site-runoff management-of-post-construction-site-runoff developing-a-program long-term-planning vision-and-goals public-education-and-outreach public-participation stormwater-monitoring |