“Building a Stormwater Program” Resources Available for Small MS4s
From the Chesapeake Stormwater Network…
There are roughly 425 small MS4s in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Pennsylvania has the most with about 277, followed by Virginia (80), Maryland (60), New York (~40), and a handful in both Delaware and West Virginia. These small communities must develop local programs that meet six minimum management measures specified by EPA, and are issued five year Phase 2 stormwater permits.
As many as 80% of these communities are on schedule to have their permits renewed or reissued in the next two years-and the Pennsylvania draft Permit currently undergoing review will undoubtedly contain more stringent conditions.
It’s tough to be a stormwater manager in a small MS4. These small communities, often with less than 10,000 residents, have few staff, low funding and limited experience to administer these new stormwater programs. And, to be fair, the States and EPA who write the small MS4s permits, haven’t done a great job helping small communities with much technical assistance, hands on training and resources to launch their new stormwater programs (at least so far). Small communities have been pretty much left to their own devices to figure out how to comply with their new permits.
Last January, Tom Schueler from the Chesapeake Stormwater Network conducted a seminar on building effective stormwater programs for Pennsylvania communities. The seminar featured six short training modules for small MS4 stormwater managers. These modules present the basic small MS4 requirements and provide tips on how to build each program on a shoestring that other successful communities have used, These modules can be accessed below:
▪ Building a Phase 2 MS4 Stormwater Program on a Shoestring
▪ Minimum Management Measure 2: Stormwater Education
▪ Minimum Management Measure 3: Erosion and Sediment Control
▪ Minimum Management Measure 4: Post Construction Stormwater Management
▪ Minimum Management Measure 5: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
▪ Minimum Management Measure 6: Municipal Good Housekeeping
Visit the Chesapeake Stormwater Network for more…
