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 |
|---|---|
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
MCM 2: Public Participation
| Article Description | Categories |
|---|---|
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
MCM 3: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
| Article Description | Categories |
|---|---|
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
MCM 4: Management of Construction Site Runoff
| Article Description | Categories |
|---|---|
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
MCM 5: Management of Post-Construction Runoff
| Article Description | Categories |
|---|---|
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
MCM 6: Good Housekeeping in Municipal Operations
| Article Description | Categories |
|---|---|
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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 |