The Clean Water Act regulations mean that all around the US, people in cities large and small are participating in similar efforts to protect water quality.
This has especially been true since Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System took effect in 2003, propelling smaller communities—including many that had not previously had rigorous stormwater programs—into the surface-water-quality arena. People were pulled in from many different professional areas and found themselves with many different types of expertise and different levels of resources at their disposal. For many, these were truly uncharted waters.
Back in 2003, rather than inventing the wheel many times over in communities across the land, a great number of stormwater professionals (the old hands and the newly minted ones alike) looked to see what their neighbors were doing. How were other MS4 permittees meeting their requirements for public education and outreach, say? What sort of construction-site inspection was going on two counties over? Was there some way to pool resources—funding, personnel, educational materials? How were other people assessing the bewildering array of new water-quality BMPs that were appearing on the market? And how in the world were other cities paying for all these new efforts?
Now in 2008, as the first five-year Phase II permits are being renewed, it’s a great time to reassess our programs and share what we’ve learned. Is there something you’re especially proud of that you’ve accomplished since your initial permit was issued? Something you’re still struggling with? Something aspect of your program that you’ve barely gotten a start on? (In that, you’re certainly not alone!) Let us know what’s going on with your stormwater program and what you’re hoping to accomplish next.