Long-term planning is critical to successfully protecting water resources, securing program funding, and establishing the right financial tools for program operations and capital investments. Communities often have various other public infrastructure plans (transportation, drinking water, wastewater) that vary in duration from five years (e.g., capital improvement plans, hazard mitigation plans) to 20 years (e.g., comprehensive plans, regional master plans), and some others that may articulate a vision of 30 or more years. You can use similar long-term planning approaches to forecast future infrastructure projects and stormwater management practices and to improve the organizational, financial, and operational aspects of your municipal stormwater program.
Establishing a strong foundation for your program
To ensure your program has the capacity for long-term planning and effective stormwater management, it is critical to:
- Establish your program vision and goals.
- Organize your program structure.
- Inform and engage the public and community decision-makers.
- Establish a funding portfolio that provides adequate resources.
- Develop knowledge of system conditions and needed improvements (often accomplished through an asset management approach).
- Consider integrating green infrastructure into project planning.
- Coordinate and integrate efforts among other community programs.
For programs that currently lack some of these key elements, it can take time to develop them and secure the necessary resources to do so. Communities often face a “chicken and egg” scenario of obtaining resources first and then doing the organizational work, whereas in many cases, establishing a strong programmatic foundation will help enable additional resources to follow. You should strategically look at your program development needs and create a reasonable plan for attaining them over a longer time period (often longer than a typical 5-year permit cycle). This approach can lead to iterative improvements over time through coordinated and intentional efforts.
Case Study: Austin, Texas, Integrates Stormwater Management into Other Infrastructure Projects
Opportunities for improved stormwater management are often present in various types of infrastructure projects that can receive funding or financing from an array of sources. Thus, effective coordination and integration among different types of infrastructure planning efforts can improve the likelihood of leveraging resources and making sound investments in systems to manage stormwater that complement community development initiatives and promote economic vitality.
For example, the city of Austin’s 100-year Water Forward: Integrated Water Resource Plan identifies strategies (including “community stormwater harvesting”) to best manage the city’s water supply and meet future water needs. The existence of longer-range plans for other types of infrastructure provides a basis for conducting planning for stormwater management on a longer time scale.
Piloting a long-term stormwater planning effort
In 2016, EPA created a draft guide titled Community Solutions for Stormwater Management: A Guide for Voluntary Long-Term Planning to help kick off a technical assistance effort envisioned to pilot the process of creating long-term stormwater plans. This guide provides a process for initially assessing a program, developing goals, describing current system performance, improving stakeholder engagement, analyzing opportunities, assessing funding strategies, documenting processes, and moving toward implementation. While many MS4 NPDES permits do not require long-term plans that extend beyond the permit period, EPA’s guide was intended to help stormwater programs transcend the permit term and look at how they can also support broader community objectives with a longer time horizon.
EPA provided technical assistance to four communities—Burlington, Iowa; Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Rochester, New Hampshire; and Santa Fe, New Mexico—on various aspects of long-term stormwater planning. As these efforts wrap up, EPA will share information and leverage the lessons learned to help inform other long-term stormwater planning efforts across the country.
Understanding the difference between a long-term plan and other stormwater plans
You might be wondering if a long-term plan is different from your current stormwater management plan or stormwater pollution prevention plan. It depends. Many cities have stormwater management plans that focus on what the city needs to do to meet the requirements of its state- or EPA-issued NPDES MS4 permit. Some plans are fairly basic and lay out what to do now to meet the six minimum measures required in an MS4 permit. Other communities have more detailed plans that account for responsibilities beyond the minimum measures and that are more forward looking. While these types of plans do a good job at accounting for activities related to permit compliance and current program activities implemented over a five-year period, they might not include the following attributes of a true long-term plan:
- Provide a thorough inventory of current program assets.
- Account for the full range of stormwater-related services provided by the municipality.
- Address future program needs and strategies in the longer term.
- Provide a basis for determining present and future funding needs to build and sustain the program.
Long-term planning can help create a comprehensive plan that is more than an inventory of your pipes, equipment, and program activities. A thorough plan:
- Sets goals: A long-term plan requires thoughtful articulation of goals, strategies, and methods to address your current and future program needs.
- Sets timeframes: Timeframes for different aspects of your plan will vary, but you need to be future-focused. Funding requirements are based on timeframes you set for implementing the plan.
- Creates a compelling case for funding: You cannot create a compelling financing plan if you do not have a thorough stormwater program plan with solid documentation.
Case Study: Basic Versus Detailed Plans
The Stormwater Program Plan for Waynesboro, Virginia, is a more basic plan that accounts for the city’s activities to implement the six minimum measures required under the Virginia Phase II MS4 permit.
The Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program for Blaine, Minnesota, is more detailed, providing:
- A more in-depth description of how the city implements its program components.
- Information about how the stormwater program relates to other local programs and processes.
- A self-assessment discussing the current program and what the city plans to do in the future.
Case Study: San Diego, California
The city of San Diego prepared a series of long-term water quality improvement and asset management plans that are guiding its long-term initiative to make large investments in improving how it manages stormwater and meets regulatory and other water management objectives.
Case Study: Grand Rapids, Michigan
The city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, developed a Stormwater Master Plan that combines a detailed accounting of current program assets and activities with a long-term action plan for a 20-year period.
Considering changes in your operating environment
As you project future program needs, make sure to discuss potential changes in your operating environment that could affect future expectations of your program, such as:
- Regulatory changes (e.g., new requirements to address total maximum daily loads).
- Opportunities for multi-purpose projects.
- Large development or redevelopment plans.
- Opportunities to improve resilience to flooding or drought, or other adaptations.
Resources
See Establishing a Comprehensive Stormwater Program Plan for additional guidance on developing a comprehensive program plan. The following additional resources provide guidance on engaging in long-term planning; developing plans; and involving decision-makers, stakeholders, regulatory partners, developers, and the general public.
| 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 |
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 |
Plans and ReportsAuthor: City of San Diego, CA | Developed/Updated on Date: Various (2002–2020) Web Link: https://www.sandiego.gov/stormwater/plansreports The City collaborated with other jurisdictions and stakeholders throughout the San Diego Region to develop Water Quality Improvement Plans (WQIPs) for each of the watersheds within its jurisdiction. The goal of the WQIPs is to protect, preserve, enhance, and restore water quality of receiving water bodies. This goal will be accomplished through an adaptive planning and management process that identifies the highest-priority water quality conditions within a watershed and implements strategies to achieve improvements in the quality of discharges from the responsible agencies’ storm drain systems. | Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Water Quality Outcomes: Watershed-Based Models | long-term-planning watershed-based-models |
Planning for Sustainability: A Handbook for Water and Wastewater UtilitiesAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: February 2012 This Handbook describes a number of steps utilities can undertake to enhance their existing planning processes to ensure that water infrastructure investments are cost-effective over their life-cycle, resource-efficient, and support other relevant community goals. Developed after extensive consultation and input from utilities, states, and other stakeholders, this Handbook is organized around a series of Core Elements, including: | Operations: Green Infrastructure, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning | green-infrastructure long-term-planning |
One Water Roadmap: The Sustainable Management of Life’s Most Essential ResourceAuthor: U.S. Water Alliance | Developed/Updated on Date: 2016 Web Link: http://uswateralliance.org/sites/uswateralliance.org/files/publications/Roadmap%20FINAL.pdf This report offers a framework for bold leadership towards One Water management in the United States. One Water is a perspective that all water has value and should be managed in a sustainable, inclusive, and integrated way. While the focus is water, their goals are thriving local economies, community vitality, and healthy ecosystems. The report is organized in the following manner: | Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning | long-term-planning |
Making the Right Choices for Your Utility: Using Sustainability Criteria for Water Infrastructure Decision MakingAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: February 2015 This document is designed to supplement the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Planning for Sustainability: A Handbook for Water and Wastewater Utilities (“the Handbook”), issued in February 2012. Specifically, this document supplements Element 3 in the Handbook (Alternatives Analysis) to provide more detailed guidance on alternatives analysis methods that utilities can use to incorporate sustainability criteria when evaluating infrastructure or operational alternatives and making decisions related to major infrastructure investments. It enables utilities of varying degrees of size and capacity, working with local officials and community members, to undertake a decision-making process that gives balanced consideration to a full range of alternatives—including green and decentralized technologies —to best meet the overall short- and long-term needs of the community. | Operations: Green Infrastructure, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning | green-infrastructure long-term-planning |
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 |
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 |
Estimating Users of Water Resources: Springfield–Greene County Data Collection PlanAuthor: U.S. EPA | Developed/Updated on Date: August 2017 A quantitative assessment of water users can help communicate the importance of water resource protection and improvement, as well as provide data for prioritizing projects. As part of Springfield–Greene County’s effort to develop a comprehensive integrated plan, EPA investigated data on water resource users within and downstream of the city and county. After compiling existing data, the EPA project team identified data gaps and developed recommended methods for collecting additional data to address these gaps. This data collection plan provides next steps for the project partners, as well as ideas for other communities on how to collect water resource user data to help support an integrated planning process. | Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning | long-term-planning |
Community Solutions for Stormwater Management: A Guide for Voluntary Long-Term PlanningAuthor: U.S. EPA Office of Water | Developed/Updated on Date: October 2016 Web Link: https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-planning The purpose of this guide is to assist EPA, states, and local governments in developing new or improving existing long-term stormwater plans that inform stormwater management implemented by communities on the ground. The document describes how to develop a comprehensive long-term community stormwater plan that integrates stormwater management with communities’ broader plans for economic development, infrastructure investment, and environmental compliance. Through this approach, communities can prioritize actions related to stormwater management as part of capital improvement plans, integrated plans, master plans, or other planning efforts. Early and effective stormwater planning and management by communities as they develop will provide significant long-term cost savings while supporting resilience, economic growth, and quality of life. | Funding: Establishing a Plan, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning | establishing-a-plan long-term-planning |
Case Studies in Integrated Water Resources Management: From Local Stewardship to National VisionAuthor: American Water Resources Association | Developed/Updated on Date: November 2012 Web Link: https://inyo-monowater.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/AWRA-Case-Studies-IWRM.pdf Water professionals have sought to implement the principles of integrated water resources management (IWRM) to address threats from aging infrastructure, climate change, and population growth while balancing environmental, social, and economic needs. The seven case studies in this report support the underpinnings of IWRM as a process and demonstrate how change in these key areas can facilitate IWRM implementation. These case studies were selected based on a sample of convenience. Each includes: (1) background information on what prompted IWRM efforts, (2) a description of the IWRM process, (3) a description of the outcome, (4) the costs and benefits, and (5) key contact information. | Funding: Revenue, Funding, and Financing, Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning | revenue-funding-financing long-term-planning |
Building Cities in the Rain: Watershed Prioritization for Stormwater RetrofitsAuthor: Washington State Department of Commerce (Heather Ballash) | Developed/Updated on Date: September 2016 Web Link: https://www.ezview.wa.gov/site/alias__1780/36739/watershed_prioritization_guidance.aspx Targeted watershed recovery and urban redevelopment and revitalization go hand in hand. This guidance describes an optional process for prioritizing watersheds for stormwater retrofits and the recovery of aquatic habitat in urban areas. It is intended to provide a tool for local governments to target investment in stormwater retrofits in a way that leverages opportunities for salmonid habitat restoration and facilitates redevelopment in urban centers. | Program Goals and Management: Long-Term Planning, Water Quality Outcomes: Watershed-Based Models | long-term-planning watershed-based-models |
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 |