| Stormwater Waste Management |
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| By Scott Renslow, Senior Technical Adviser, USABlueBook |
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| Stormwater runoff is the water from rain and snow melt that flows across land. This water picks up pollutants on land and carries them into nearby water systems, degrading water quality and increasing flooding and erosion. Stormwater runoff is the most common cause of water pollution. |
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| Approximately 70% of all storm drains lead directly to open waterways without treatment. About 46% of all polluted rivers and lakes in the U.S. are polluted due to uncontrolled stormwater runoff. Just one quart of spilled oil can cause a two-acre oil slick. |
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| Polluted stormwater runoff often flows into municipal storm sewer systems and is ultimately discharged into local rivers and streams without treatment. Urban development can alter or even destroy natural drainage features, which creates even more stormwater runoff. |
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| Common pollutants in stormwater runoff include oil and grease from roadways, lawn pesticides, construction site sediment, and trash. Heavy runoff can also cause sewer overflows, leading to possible untreated human and industrial waste in nearby waterways. These pollutants can block waterways, discourage recreational use, contaminate drinking water, and interfere with animal and plant life. |
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| Failing to manage stormwater runoff can also be expensive. Recently a major retail chain was fined $1 million by the EPA for stormwater violations. In San Francisco, you can receive up to a $25,000 fine for dumping oil into a storm drain. |
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| Managing Stormwater Runoff |
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| Stormwater Management Regulations are key components of the EPA’s Clean Water Act. The goal of these regulations is to protect the quality of U.S. waterways by reducing the discharge of sediment, oil, and chemicals into storm drains, surface water and ground water. |
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| Stormwater management includes strategic site design, measures to control the runoff sources, and thoughtful landscape planning. The best way to manage stormwater waste is usually at the pollutant’s source. Proper chemical storage and good housekeeping can prevent pollutants from entering the runoff in the first place. |
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| The EPA’s stormwater program regulates discharges from Municipal Separate Storm Water Systems (or MS4s). In accordance with federal regulations (40 CFR 122.26), operators of regulated MS4s are required to create a stormwater management program. |
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| Phase I Regulations |
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| Phase I of the EPA’s Stormwater Rule was issued in 1990 and applies to medium and large (100,000 to 249,999 population) municipal systems. In addition, Phase I Rule covers construction activities disturbing more than five acres. |
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| For Phase I MS4s, a stormwater management program includes measures to: |
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Identify major outfalls and pollutant loadings; |
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Detect and eliminate non-stormwater discharges to the system; |
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Reduce pollutants in runoff from industrial, commercial, and residential areas; and |
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Control stormwater discharges from new development and redevelopment areas. |
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| Phase II Regulations |
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| Phase II regulations, which went into effect in 2003, apply to municipalities with a total population of 10,000 or more and a density of at least 1,000 persons per square mile. Construction activities disturbing more than one acre are included. |
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| For Phase II MS4s, a stormwater management program requires implementing six minimum measures: |
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Public Education and Outreach |
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Public Participation/Involvement |
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Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination |
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Construction Site Runoff Control |
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Post-Construction Runoff Control |
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Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping |
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| The EPA controls stormwater and sewer overflow discharges through its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. NPDES provides guidance to municipalities and state and federal permitting authorities on how to meet stormwater pollution control goals as flexibly and cost-effectively as possible. |
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