8.2. SR 07-02-2012 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Stanfiec CITY OF ELK RIVER -STORM WATER UTILITY Introduction June 25, 2012 2.0 Introduction 2.1 STORM WATER REGULATIONS The Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) mandates states to develop water quality standards and establish a comprehensive storm water management program to regulate storm water runoff. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency administers the CWA locally and is charged with the establishment of a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) general permit. The MS4 permitting program gives municipality's approval to discharge stormwater to lakes, rivers, and wetlands. The City of Elk River was designated an MS4 in 2003. The MS4 permit requires the City of Elk River to create a stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) which contains six components. These components are 1) Public education and outreach, 2) Public participation, 3) Illicit discharge detection and elimination, 4) Construction site runoff controls, 5) Post-construction runoff controls, and 6) Pollution prevention and municipal good housekeeping measures. Each year, the City is required to complete tasks under each of the SWPPP components and hold a public meeting. The MPCA reviews the MS4 permit regulations. The permit runs on a 5-year cycle. A draft MS4 permit containing an increased level of regulatory requirements is currently out for public review and is proposed to be adopted by September, 2012. The new regulations continued in the revised MS4 permit, are unfunded Federal and State mandate that will cause additional expense for the City. The MPCA has taken a stronger stance on water quality regulations over the years due to numerous lakes, rivers and trout streams throughout the state. The state of Minnesota is heavily dependent on recreational tourism and clean lakes and rivers are a major consideration when implementing higher water quality standards. 2.2 STORM WATER RUNOFF stormwater runoff occurs when the water from rainfall and snowmelt exceeds the capacity of the ground to infiltrate it. stormwater travels overland, through streets and gutters, into storm sewers or conveyance channels, and eventually to receiving waters (ponds, rivers, lakes, and wetlands). As the stormwater travels, it picks up sediment and pollutants and carries it along to the receiving waters. The amount of runoff is a function of the impervious surfaces in the watershed. The greater the amount of impervious surfaces, the greater the runoff. Urban development tends to increase the percentage of impervious surfaces. This in turn increases the rate, volume, and velocity of stormwater runoff, as well as the amount of pollutants picked up by the runoff. Urban storm water runoff may contain high levels of contaminants, such as sediment, suspended solids, nutrients, heavy metals, pathogens, toxins, Project No. 193802143 2.2