Stormwater Regulations and Programs

•Law

•Permits

•Watershed Programs

Information available at www.swrcb.ca.gov

Stormwater

• Precipitation runoff– Runoff contacts roofs,

walks, streets, vegetation, roads, and earth

– Runoff washes off pollutants

– Pollutants also dissolved in precipitation

SedimentSediment

Typical Pollutants

HydrocarbonsHydrocarbons

Trash and DebrisTrash and Debris NutrientsNutrients

MetalsMetals

Typical Concentrations

Pollutant Stormwater a Wastewater b

TOC (mg/L) 15-20 150

Bacteria, MPN/100mL

103-105 108-109

TSS (mg/L) 60-120 200

Total-N (mg/L) 3 40

Source: a: 1985 Caltrans Discharge Characterization Report (2003), b: Water Quality Source: a: 1985 Caltrans Discharge Characterization Report (2003), b: Water Quality (Tchobanoglous and Schroeder), and c: Basin Plan Objectives for various beneficial uses (Tchobanoglous and Schroeder), and c: Basin Plan Objectives for various beneficial uses (Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board)(Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board)

Clean Water Act (federal)• Goals: Protecting beneficial uses

– Protect fish, shellfish, and wildlife– Protect receiving waters for contact

recreation– Prohibit discharge of toxic pollutants

• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit required – NPDES is the permitting system used for

stormwater and point source discharges

Porter Cologne Act

(CA)

Regional Boards

• Establishes Regional Water Quality Control Boards

• Enforces the NPDES system in CA

• Construction

• Industrial

• Municipal

Stormwater Permits

Permits require the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs)

BMPs

• Non-structural (usually source controls)– Public education– Erosion control– Good housekeeping– Pollution prevention practices related to

landscaping, lawn care, vehicle washing, pet waste, street and parking lot cleaning

• Structural (treatment): detention basins, sand filters, etc.

Construction Permit• Statewide construction permit (permits

not usually specific to region or site)

• For all projects that disturb more than one acre

• Must file Notice of Intent (NOI) with Regional Board

• Must prepare a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)

• Implement BMPs

SWPPP• Define project

• Map extent of disturbances & discharge points

• List pollution prevention measures (BMPs)– Entrance/Exit controls– Erosion control (e.g. slope stabilization, silt

fences)– Treatment (e.g. retention and sedimention basins)– Source Controls (e.g. covering materials, concrete

wash-out areas)

Slope Stabilization

Erosion Control - HydroseedingErosion Control - Hydroseeding

Silt FenceSilt Fence

Drain Inlet Protection

Straw Wattles

Industrial• Statewide permit available, but

individual permit may be required under certain circumstances

– e.g., Sensitive water body

• Industry-specific permits possible (unique or common problem)– e.g. hydrocarbons from auto dismantlers

• File NOI

• SWPPP required

Applicable Facilities

• Any facility where “industrial” materials are exposed to stormwater– Manufacturing facilities– Steam power generation– Resource extraction (mining)– Hazardous waste storage and handling– Landfill and recycling facilities– Transportation maintenance yards

Example BMPs: Covered Storage

Temporary covers Temporary covers difficult to usedifficult to use

Temporary covers Temporary covers difficult to usedifficult to use

BetterBetter

BMPs: Secondary Containment

BetterBetter

Note: Uncovered containment will Note: Uncovered containment will fill with stormwaterfill with stormwater

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)

• Phase I: populations greater than 100,000

• Phase II: just about everyone else, some discretion with the Regional Boards

• Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) required

Minimum SWMP Programs

• Public Education and Outreach• Public Involvement and Participation• Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination• Good Housekeeping and Source Control for

Municipal Operations (e.g. street sweeping)• Construction Program Management…• Post-Construction Stormwater

Management…

Post Construction Post Construction BMPsBMPs

Detention BasinDetention Basin

Post Construction Post Construction BMPsBMPs

Sand filterSand filter

SedimentationSedimentation

FilterFilter

Post Construction Post Construction BMPsBMPs

Biofiltration strip and Infiltration TrenchBiofiltration strip and Infiltration Trench

What is good enough?

• Stormwater usually has no directly enforced numeric standards

– Different from wastewater regulation

• Federal Clean Water Act says “shall require controls to reduce the discharge of pollutants to the maximum extent practicable….”

Iterative Approach

Implement

Program

Revise SWMP

according tosuccess or failure

Evaluate

Success

DevelopPerformance

Standards(in SWMP)

What MEP isn’t …

• Infeasible technology • Technology where costs greatly

outweighs pollution control benefits• Technology whose implementation

would violate legal and institutional constraints

(from various court cases)

When MEP isn’t good enough …

• Most permits have language that prohibits the discharge of stormwater that “causes or contributes to exceedances of water quality objectives”– Standards to protect beneficial uses

Recent examples: • 6 days in jail and $1,000 fine for an

excavator that didn’t have a permit to work near a creek near Sebastopol. Property owner must restore the site.

• Six L.A. auto dismantlers face criminal charges for not having SWPPPs.

So what happens to violators?

Who does this affect?

• Civil engineers doing …

– Public works

– Transportation

– Site development

– Modifications to existing infrastructure