The Reality of Stormwater Runoff and MS4 Stormwater Permits

by David Casaletto

Ozarks Water Watch Executive Director

A few days ago, I attended the 2012 Missouri MS4 Stormwater Conference. Most of the attendees represented municipalities or other government entities affected by the MS4 requirements but there were a handful of nonprofit watershed organizations present to learn more about what MS4 is and what it means to our effort to keep our waters clean. This issue reached my radar screen when the City of Springfield sued EPA over stormwater requirements that could cost the city upwards of $300 million dollars with no determined beneficial outcome. A couple of sentences from the lawsuit read:

Despite the fact that the TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Load) acknowledge evidence of the presence of specific toxic pollutants in the Creeks and that they are likely sources of the impairment, EPA then ignores this information and devises TMDLs that focus on peak wet weather urban storm water runoff, a claimed "surrogate" for the unknown pollutant(s) of concern. The TMDLs guess that an approximate 30-40 percent reduction in peak runoff during wet weather events will fix the undetermined problem. 

That lawsuit will likely be the subject of a future newsletter, so lets get back to the rules that set this sort of situation in motion. I will admit to my lack of education on MS4 Stormwater so the first thing I learned is the MS4 stands for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (a "M" and 4 "S"s). Both myself, EPA and most everyone else will agree, runoff is a big issue and needs serious attention. EPA states it this way:

According to a summary of State surveys of water quality, approximately 40 percent of surveyed U.S. waterbodies are still impaired by pollution and do not meet water quality standards. A leading source of this impairment is polluted runoff with 13 percent of impaired rivers, 18 percent of impaired lake acres  and 32 percent of impaired estuaries affected by urban/suburban stormwater runoff. The Stormwater Phase II Final Rule is the next step in EPA's effort to preserve, protect,  and improve the Nation's water resources from polluted stormwater runoff. 

Stormwater erosion.

Stormwater discharges from MS4s in urbanized areas are a concern because of the high concentration of pollutants found in these discharges. Concentrated development in urbanized areas substantially increases impervious surfaces, such as city streets, driveways, parking lots, and sidewalks, on which pollutants from concentrated human activities settle and remain until a storm event washes them into nearby storm drains. Common pollutants include pesticides, fertilizers, oils, salt, litter and other debris, and sediment. Another concern is the possible illicit connections of sanitary sewers, which can result in fecal coliform bacteria entering the storm sewer system. Stormwater runoff picks up and transports these and other harmful pollutants then discharges them - untreated to waterways via storm sewer systems. When left uncontrolled, these discharges can result in fish kills, the destruction of spawning and wildlife habitats, a loss in aesthetic value, and contamination of drinking water supplies and recreational waterways that can threaten public health.

Urban Sprawl increases impervious surfaces.

EPA requires MS4 permittees to address subjects such as public education, outreach and involvement; illicit discharge, detection and elimination; construction site runoff control; and permanent long term stormwater control measures. The last item, the long term control measures, is where my "aha" moment occurred during this conference with a presentation from Jay Hoskins, P.E. with the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD). EPA is requiring under MS4 that "controls are in place.....to prevent or minimize water quality impacts by reasonably mimicking pre-construction runoff conditions on all new development projects...."

So in effect, the site being developed has to have the same runoff characteristics it had before it was developed. The slide above from Mr. Hoskins presentation illustrates runoff pre- and post-development. The slides below show typical pre- and post-development runoff percentages in the Ozark Highlands which includes St. Louis.

A Pre-development site has 55% Evapotranspiration

Post-development Evapotranspiration is only 1% with TOTAL discharge now 59%.

Rain Garden Demonsration.

Pervious Pavement allows stormwater to soak in.

Urban Building Green Roof.

Quote of the Week

"The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives." 

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Every Drop Counts: Did you know that an American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks? Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. That's why WaterSense reminds Americans to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems each year during Fix a Leak Week. 

WaterSense is teaming up with our partners to promote the fourth annual Fix a Leak Week, March 12-18, 2012.From New Mexico's search for bad flappers to leak detection efforts in Texas, West Virginia and across the nation, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in this year's Fix A Leak Week. Explore our list of some of this year's many events to find out more.

Jim Gaston On Tourism, The Recession And Technology

Arkansas Business, By Jan Cottingham

3/5/2012 

Jim Gaston has been operating Gaston's White River Resort in Lake View since 1966, transforming it into a world-class destination for trout fishing.

Bio: Jim Gaston
Background: Gaston's resort began when Al Gaston, Jim's father, in 1958 bought 20 acres along the White River. The acreage included six cottages and six boats. In 1966, Jim's father died and a bank sought to foreclose on the resort's property. Jim Gaston developed a business plan, and with a $15,000 bank loan, he eventually transformed the resort into a property consisting of 400 acres, two miles of river frontage, 79 cottages, more than 70 boats, a restaurant, swimming pool and nature trails, among other amenities.

Civic leadership: Gaston has held various leadership positions with the Arkansas Hospitality Association and the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce. He has been president of the Arkansas Tourism Development Foundation since its founding in 1970.

Q: How have the recession and slow recovery affected your business? Are you seeing people cut back on vacations because of the economy? Do fewer or more visitors come from out of state now?

A: Yes, the "company trips" are down. Personal vacations are also down. The economy plays a part, but I think the problem is that companies and people in general are more concerned about what will happen next. They're simply watching their money and waiting to see what happens. They have lost faith in what is taking place in Washington, D.C., and the world. About three or four years ago Arkansas residents accounted for about 30 percent of our business. Now it's about 50 percent. However, I do see this changing this year, with more non-Arkansas visitors returning to the resort.

To read more, Click HERE.