1^st Stormwater Manual Revision Committee Meeting in Harrisburg

On Wednesday, September 9^th, Domenic Rocco, Dennis Stum, and other PADEP stormwater representatives held the first meeting in Harrisburg to discuss an update to the Stormwater BMP Manual.  The committee consists mostly of engineers, many from the SE, who have had multiple experiences working with the Manual.  An elaborate review and editing process has been defined that includes 9 sub-groups, broken out by specific topics expected to be especially important:

• Control Guidelines
• Calculation Methodologies
• Vegetated Systems
• Capture and Re-use
• Water Quality
• Infiltration Issues
• Redevelopment
• Highways and Other Linear Systems
• Inspection and Maintenance Issues

Sub-groups will deliver written reports to the committee which will compile and submit written recommendations to PADEP.  PADEP will then prepare a Manual Revision.  Timing is uncertain, though the committee is planning on a 1-year timeframe.

There are quite a few ways that the existing Manual could be improved.

What are your thoughts and opinions?

Email us at info@stormwaterpa.org or post a comment here on the blog…

PA Stormwater Management Symposium

Registration is open for BOTH the PA SWM Symposium and Municipal Workshop at Villanova (put on by the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership)!  Between NPDES, efforts to revise the BMP Manual, and proposed Ch 102 regulations, there is a lot to talk about!

This year attendees will be addressed by:

• John Hines, Deputy Secretary of Water Management
• Glenn Rider, Director of the Bureau of Watershed management
• and many notable speakers from both the private and the public sectors.

VUSP and TVSSI researchers will present their latest research!  Registration includes podium and poster presentations, tours, and of course the wine and cheese reception with our vendors.  Registration is through the VUSP website at www.villanova.edu/vusp

Budget Impasse Hinders Conservation District Activities

Pennsylvania’s 66 Conservation Districts are feeling the pinch of local funding reductions and the state budget impasse.  The absence of a state budget coupled with the threat of significant financial cutbacks on the state and county levels concern conservation districts who are wondering how they will continue to provide local citizens with vital conservation programs.  Read the PACD full press release.

Chesapeake Bay Executive Order Website

Federal Agencies Release Draft Reports Required by Chesapeake Bay Executive order.   Read the Press Release,  Executive Summary and Draft Reports.  NOTE: The public will have the opportunity to submit formal written comments for the record beginning November 9.

Did you know?

The Berks County Conservation District web site provides a link to the Reading Eagle interactive website about the Schuylkill River.  Visit A River Runs Through Us: Read the Stories; Watch all Videos; Learn about the Schuylkill River Watershed. At readingeagle.com.

Reminders!

September 17  deadline CALL FOR PAPERS - World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2010: Challenges of Change. Submit here.

NEW: SUBMIT your news and events directly to us!

As part of our ongoing committment to providing the most useful, up-to-date information to our partner organizations and readers, we’ve created a system to enable you to send your announcements, news, and event information directly to us so we can post it here on our Blog. Email us at info@stormwaterpa.org.

admin Weekly News Chesapeake Bay, conservation district, infiltration, PA BMP Manual, PA DEP, Schuylkill River, stormwater best management practices, water quality

Are you thinking of washing your car this weekend?  Think again!  Unless you plan to treat that sudsy water.  New data has sparked controversy and an article in the Stormwater Journal about Residential Car Washing.  “Society has been slow to recognize the link between individual behaviors and practices, and the detrimental impacts that they may have on our natural aquatic resources.”  Find out what the state of Washington is doing to combat suds.  Then check out one case of Successful Residential and Community-Based Nonpoint-Source Pollution Prevention.

PEC seeks bids for Ohiopyle Green Infrastructure Project.  The Pennsylvania Environmental Council received funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the project.  Bids will be accepted now through October 6, 2009 for

• Installation of rain barrels with downspout and gutter repair/installation throughout the Ohiopyle Borough
• And pervious pavement, bioswales, rain gardens, landscaping, asphalt pavement repair, and concrete sidewalks on demonstration streets

A pre-bid meeting will be held September 15^th.  Click here for more information.

Upcoming Events

The Growing Greener Watershed Restoration Program will be ten years old in December and to help celebrate, 10 organizations have come together to invite watershed groups to share their success stories on a special Growing Greener website.  Thanks to the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds and an anonymous benefactor, two $250 grants will be given to the watershed groups with the best article and photo or video each month through December.  The next deadline is September 20.

Come celebrate the successful work of a grassroots operation throughout the Southeast at the 13^th Annual Clean Water Fund Auction and Party.  Each year, 120 or more supporters, friends and leaders in the work of the Clean Water Fund in Southeast Pennsylvania gather along Philadelphia’s historic boathouse row, in a beautiful setting that overlooks the Schuylkill River.  Join them October 16, 2009 from 6-9pm.  Get tickets here.  Debut of a new art installation, Tsunami, created by Dave Holley for the event.

Reminders:

September 14-18 - Permit Writers’ training course in Atlanta, GA

September 22-25 - Watershed Institute in Columbia, SC

CALL FOR PAPERS - World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2010: Challenges of Change. Due September 17. Submit here.

October 14-15 - Bailing Out Stormwater: Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Symposium at Villanova University. Registration Opens September 1.

admin Weekly News clean water, growing greener, Nonpoint source pollution, pervious pavement, rain barrels, stormwater best management practices

How is global warming affecting stormwater runoff? According to the Environmental News Service, climate change increases runoff in eastern U.S. forests. “Failure to consider the effects of nitrogen limitation and ozone on photosynthesis can lead us to underestimate regional runoff,” said Benjamin Felzer, an ecosystem modeler at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  Read more and find out how plants’ defense against warming increases runoff.

It can be done!  PA Environment Digest reports on A Decade Of Growing Greener - A Catalyst For Change In The Lititz Run Watershed.  “The Lititz Run Watershed Alliance should be used as an example of what state funding, local grassroots efforts, and partnership can do to clean up a local watershed. If we can do it here it can be duplicated throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.”  Find out what they achieved and how they did it.

Thinking about going veggie?  You may have one more reason.  From Stormwater Magazine, World’s Waters Choking from Meat Consumption and Other Human Activities. Nutrient pollution from stormwater runoff is causing increased algal bloom and dead zones along the coasts.  Read the full report released by the World Resources Institute.

Back to the future…  The feature article in Stormwater Journal’s September issue, Volume-Based Hydrology, examines the sixty year history of stormwater controls and the recent trend from focusing on peak flows and pollution treatment to mimicking predevelopment volumes.  See what’s in store for the future of stormwater controls.

Questions about constructing a wetland?  Get tips and tricks from Temple-Villanova Sustainable Stormwater Initiative.  View their video feature: Constructed Wetland at Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust.

Upcoming Events

USDA-NRCS is offering watershed grants to install conservation practices on crop and livestock farms in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The deadline for applications is August 26.  Twenty grants will be awarded from a total of $350,000 in available funding.  Apply here!

Reminders:

Deadline Extended! CALL FOR PAPERS for the 2010 Watershed Management Conference.  Submit here.  Abstracts due August 26.

Deadline Extended! CALL FOR PAPERS for the 2010 Low Impact Development Conference.  Submit here. Abstracts due August 26.

September 11 - Managing wet weather with green infrastructure workshop

September 14-16 - CONFERENCE: Forests and Water in a Changing Environment

admin Weekly News algal bloom, Chesapeake Bay, constructed wetland, hydrology, LID, nitrogen, stormwater runoff, volume control, wet weather

Trouble choosing the best BMP for your site? Take a look at what works and what doesn’t in The Center for Watershed Protection’s Performance Survey of Stormwater BMPs in Virginia’s James River Basin.  BMP types surveyed included bioretention cells, permeable pavers, constructed wetlands, detention and retention ponds, infiltration trenches, swales, and more.  At each BMP site, field teams looked for: indicators of erosion, clogging, and structural problems at the inlets and outlets; conditions directly downstream of the BMP; health of vegetative cover; signs of improper flow paths of water; maintenance issues; interesting design features; and more. The recently completed technical report describes the survey results and provides recommendations.  Read more and check out the report.

Do you have questions about Porous Pavement?  Bruce Ferguson has the answers.  Check out some of the most common question in his recent article in the Stormwater Journal.

Controlling Runoff at the CDC: Efforts to control stormwater runoff at the urban campus of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention led to the novel installation of an underground detention system, reported by The Stormwater Journal.  Located in a highly developed urban setting within Atlanta, GA, the Roybal Campus of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) contains large areas of impervious surfaces that require stormwater management and detention. Constructed during the 1950s before modern requirements for controlling surface water runoff, the CDC had only minimal stormwater retention.  Learn more.

Stormwater Consortium Seeks Aid — from The Reporter.  The Montgomery County consortium of municipalities opposing new state stormwater regulations have divided their concerns into three categories: changes they could accept; regulations they could accept with slight alterations; and proposals so onerous that they could not be accepted.  One suggestion made by a municipal engineer encourages the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to promote more customization in its general permit applications.  Find out their concerns.

Reminders!

September 22-25 - 2009 Watershed Institute

October 9-11 - 2009 Chesapeake Watershed Forum

admin Weekly News bioretention, BMPs, Chesapeake Bay, constructed wetlands, infiltration, PA DEP, porous pavement, regulations, stormwater runoff

Flexing the Infiltration Muscle: What’s the Role of ET? From the Center for Watershed Protection’s summer issue of Runoff Rundown: Runoff Ramblings. Has your state or locality flexed its “Infiltration Muscle?”  This seems to be a popular trend among stormwater agencies, with an “infiltrate as much as possible wherever possible” attitude. Some agencies have translated this concept into real regulations that require the infiltration of certain volumes of water at each development or redevelopment site (e.g., volume of the 1-year or 2-year storm, pre-development to post-development).  For some, this is a “back to the future” scenario with the “infiltrate first” edicts of the 1990s.  Contemplate the pros and cons of these infiltration objectives with the staff of Runoff Rundown.

Triangle Park New Stormwater Management Practices from The Pennsylvania Environmental Council.  The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) celebrated Rutledge Borough’s Triangle Park Stormwater Demonstration Projects at a green ribbon cutting ceremony 4 p.m. Thursday, July 16 at the park, Swarthmore and Rutledge Avenues.  PEC, as advocate and technical advisor on urban stormwater management across the state, worked with Rutledge Borough to install a rain garden and a basketball court that features a porous surface.  These state-of-art stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) installed during recent park renovations will help manage runoff, reduce pollution from entering nearby Stoney Creek, and minimize flooding in the area during heavy rains.  Find out how these BMPs are improving the neighborhood.

StormCon Keynote and Special Events from The Stormwater Journal’s The StormCon Blog.  StormCon is respected for being the nation’s largest conference and exhibition of stormwater-related products, services, and technologies. Anyone who has ever been to StormCon also knows there is much more: the sumptuous banquets are unlike any other, and, combined with multiple networking opportunities, make the entire event a joyful experience.  Get the juicy event details and sign up today!

RESI Completes Green Stormwater Management System at University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium from the Stormwater Journal. RESI (Rehbein Environmental Solutions, Inc.) completed the installation of the Environmental Passive Integrated Chamber (EPIC System) stormwater management system and Netlon Advanced Turf System (Netlon ATS) outside the new open-air University of Minnesota Gophers’ TCF Bank Stadium with the grand opening in September of 2009.  To maximize useable space, RESI created a multi-functional plaza that eliminates the need for a traditional stormwater basin. Designed and built into the attractive turf grass and landscape plaza are RESI’s Netlon ATS and the EPIC System.   Discover how it works.

Newark Sewer Workers Swept Away by Stormwater fromThe Star-Ledger.  Two sewer workers were swept away by a torrent of stormwater underneath the streets of Newark until a safety net caught them, authorities said. The incident occurred around 4 p.m. when workers were realigning a sewer line underground at 12th Avenue and 6th Street, said Fire Chief Michael Lalor. Supervisors ordered the crew to get out when they heard a storm was coming, but two workers never received the news, Lalor said.  Read more and comment on this narrowly averted stormwater tragedy.

Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association Launches Website from The Stormwater Journal.  The Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association has launched a new website - www.stormwaterassociation.com. The website contains information about the Association’s activities, membership, technical information, and a buyer’s guide. The buyer’s guide is a free useful resource for end users needing information about stormwater equipment and other services.  Find out more and visit the new website.

Upcoming Events

Center for Watershed Protection Webcasts: Stormwater Retrofitting - Wednesday, October 14, 12-2pm EST.  Registration is open.  It will focus on the restoration of urban and suburban watersheds through stormwater retrofitting. In particular, it will discuss the design and implementation of stormwater retrofit practices featured in CWP’s Urban Stormwater Retrofit Practices manual, which discusses retrofitting existing urban lands, such as parking lots, residential streets, conveyance systems, and landscaped areas. The webcast will also provide information about the cost and pollutant removal performance of stormwater retrofits.  Register here.

Also… Managing Stormwater in the Age of Budget Cuts, for free, in the archives, available to all.

2009 Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Symposium: Bailing Out Stormwater, October 14-15, 2009.  Hosted by the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership.  Registration Opens September 1, 2009.  The purpose of the symposium is to advance the knowledge and understanding of sustainable stormwater management for those dealing in all aspects of planning, design, implementation, and regulatory compliance. A  workshop for non-engineers will be held in conjunction with the symposium. Participants are expected to include Engineers, Planners, Water Resource Professionals, Regional, State and Local Government Representatives, Land Development Professionals, and Watershed and Conservation Groups. This is the seventh symposium on stormwater issues that has been held at Villanova.  For more information visit their website.

Reminders!

August 16-20 - StormCon, the North American Surface Water Quality Conference & Exposition

September 22-25 - Registration is open for the 2009 Watershed Institute! Space is filling up fast, so register soon!

admin Weekly News BMPs, environmental site design, flood control, infiltration, porous concrete, rain garden, stormwater basin, stormwater best management practices, stormwater runoff