EDITORS NOTE: The American Society of Civil Engineers (ACSE) has recently released a review of Pennsylvania’s infrastructure programs, including stormwater management. The results are sobering. They parallel an equally dismal “report card” issued some time ago by Tom Schueler at the Chesapeake Stormwater Network. ASCE gives Pennsylvania’s stormwater program a D minus, a barely passing grade. ASCE recommendations have merit, and we would urge readers to review what they have to say (it’s a great condensed summary).
But, lest we be too critical and too negative (which we often are), keep in mind that in a relatively short period of time, PADEP has pushed the stormwater program with all of its unfunded mandates forward in significant ways. Even as we speak, there are major changes - improvements- being made to Chapter 102 provisions and to the MS4 program, involving over 900 of Pennsylvania’s over 2,500 municipalities - a crazy quilt of management challenges. In a relatively short period of time, we have moved from a single-focused peak rate detention management approach to embracing much more comprehensive objectives - peak rate and total volumes and water quality and temperature and re-use and water conservation with dozens of BMPs. The Act 167 program is being bent into a new mold. Yes, much remains to be done. We are not there yet. But some credit is due to committed state actors, both within and outside of PADEP, who have been working hard to push Pennsylvania’s stormwater program forward. Don’t give up now!
FROM ACSE:
When looking at infrastructure, potholes and rotting bridges are easy to see-a failing stormwater system is not. Stormwater infrastructure is vital to providing and maintaining safe drinking water supplies and a healthy environment, since stormwater runoff ends up in lakes and reservoirs. Approximately 84 percent of Pennsylvania’s population relies on surface water for their drinking water supply. Chemical and biological contamination from stormwater runoff can endanger both of these goals. The primary obstacles to improving the state’s stormwater infrastructure are that there is no dedicated funding source for investigation, operation and maintenance of existing systems; no funding for taking the next step to improve water quality as well as manage water quantity; and little to no regulatory oversight of stormwater systems. The Pennsylvania sections of the American Society of Civil Engineers encourage the Commonwealth to support a list of recommendations.
Fully fund and enforce Act 167
Comply with the recommended legislative priorities of the state water plan, including: Clearly authorize by legislation, regulation, or policy the creation and operation of local Authorities, Utilities, or Management Districts and/or other sustainable funding sources that enable entities to collect fees and generate revenues dedicated to planning, constructing, monitoring, maintaining, improving, expanding, operating, inspecting and repairing public and private stormwater management infrastructure.
Manage the level of effort allotted for preparing and updating stormwater management plans. Target critical watersheds with serious quality or quantity problems, based on a set of criteria (e.g., percent impervious cover, population density, federal requirements, special protection watersheds, impaired waters, rate of development, chronic flooding history and critical water planning area designation) for detailed planning efforts. Remaining areas could be covered using a standard planning outline.
Use stormwater management planning as a tool to achieve compliance with the total maximum daily load (TMDL) implementation where a water body is impaired by stormwater and a TMDL has been prepared or adopted.
Improve enforcement provisions to provide meaningful economic incentives to adopt, amend and implement stormwater management plans and ordinances.
Include provisions to address long-term operation and maintenance of stormwater management facilities.
Adequately fund regular updates to the Pennsylvania Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual to reflect innovation and change and continue to maintain and update the Stormwater Management Model Ordinance to reflect Manual revisions and statutory amendments.
To the maximum extent practicable and cost effective, vegetated buffers should be preserved and restored along all waterways. Through legislative, regulatory and administrative provisions, seek to manage stormwater so as to reduce excess runoff and pollutants.
Fund, promote and encourage water resource restoration projects.
With the decreasing federal funding for the State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) program, Pennsylvania should leverage the available federal funds that remain, using them as collateral for the issuance of state bonds, effectively doubling the amount of funds available for infrastructure investments.
Establish a statewide infrastructure inventory to increase public awareness of the problems and needs facing the state’s physical infrastructure and help the state legislature to focus on programs devoted to long-term growth and productivity.
Promote sustainable infrastructure initiatives to close the funding gap by promoting better asset management techniques for reducing long-term costs and improving performance and supporting reduction of non-point source pollution of water sources.
Continue to fund low-interest loans to farmers to implement best management practices for manure handling and storage and land management to protect water sources.
The Full ACSE Stormwater Report Card can be found here>>
admin From the Editors Act 167, BMPs, buffers, clean water, flood control, Nonpoint source pollution, ordinances, PA BMP Manual, special protection waters, state revolving fund, sustainable infrastructure, TMDL
