What s it all about?

Transcription

1 *Water Quality Intelligence Quotient During the coming months this web site will provide information regarding water quality issues in Larimer County. The site will contain general information about why we should be concerned about maintaining or improving the quality of our water resources. Additionally, the site will update County residents on the new Federal and State regulations for addressing storm water quality that will affect our County. In the following pages we will explain what the new regulations mean to Larimer County residents, who will be affected directly and how we can all participate in assuring our water resources are protected. Please take a look at the information and check back periodically for updates. Comments or questions are welcome. Check at the last page for ways to respond. Water Quality, NPDES Phase 2,.. READ ON. What s it all about?

2 Water Quality may be defined by many uses: Agricultural irrigation Recreational use Wildlife habitat Drinking water We often take water quality for granted. Water is a precious commodity in the West. Consequently, when quality is degraded it is exceptionally noticeable. Quality of the available water supply can affect quality of life, from recreational activities to safety of our drinking water. Increase in population places greater demands on available resources. It is important to conserve the quantity and quality of our water resources. One of the most important contributors to water quality degradation can be pollution of storm water. Runoff from storms or snowmelt will incorporate soil particles and other pollutants such as chemicals that find their way to streams and lakes. Larimer County has a storm water management plan that requires protection of soil and water resources during land development.

3 What is NPDES? The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is a set of regulations written by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to address the congressional charge to assure the intent of the Clean Water Act of 1977 is met. Phase I of the regulations took effect in 1990 and affected municipalities having a population of 100,000 or greater. This regulation has affected the City of Fort Collins for several years. Phase II lowers the threshold to include smaller cities, 50,000 population, and some densely populated unincorporated areas within the county jurisdictions of the state. Consequently, Larimer County will be affected by Phase II regulations. The Colorado Water Quality Control Commission convened December 11, 2000 and subsequently adopted revisions to the Colorado Discharge Permit System Regulations. The revised document implements compliance with the Federal Stormwater Phase II regulations issued by USEPA December, The revisions are the result of recommendations by Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), as staff to the Commission, and incorporate input that was solicited by CDPHE from several committees representing government, local municipalities and industry. The State version has been published and is very similar to the Federal rule. Following are the requirements and deadlines for compliance with the new rule. Beginning in 2003, Phase 2 of the regulation will affect some of the more densely populated areas of unincorporated Larimer County. At a minimum, we are mandated to address the following six measures: 1) Public education and outreach on storm water impacts 2) Public involvement/participation 3) Illicit connections and discharge detection and elimination 4) Construction site storm water runoff control 5) Post-construction storm water management in development/redevelopment 6) Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations

4 NEW REQUIREMENT! Effective July, 2002, any person disturbing an area 1 acre or greater in size is required to submit a storm water management plan to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and obtain a permit authorizing the activity. Currently, the threshold is 5 acres. This requirement is mandated by the adoption of the new Phase 2 regulation by the State of Colorado. Aside from clearing, grading and excavation activities, disturbed areas also include areas receiving overburden (e.g., stockpiles), and areas with heavy equipment/vehicle traffic and storage. How can you help? One of the key requirements will be education of the public about water quality issues and direct involvement of the public in writing and implementation of the revised storm water management plan. County officials are currently updating our storm water management plan to fulfill these requirements. This is where you come in. As a citizen of Larimer County, you are a key component of the storm water management plan. Citizens will be asked to participate in: Updating the plan Investigating funding Protecting our water quality. To assure that the quality of our water resource is maintained or enhanced, each citizen must take an active role. Learn ways to protect our waters. Participate in updating the plan. Commit to good stewardship of our water resources.

5 Horsetooth Reservoir, above, is an example of a body of water where water quality parameters are defined by several uses - including as a drinking water source. Managing for all these uses is no easy task. It takes the coordination of many government agencies and the commitment of all citizens who use the water resource to maintain the integrity of the quality of water for all users. Managing land use and other activities in the surrounding local watersheds is everyone s job. For further information on Water Quality, The Larimer County Storm Water Management Plan, or NPDES Phase 2 regulation, contact Scott Cornell, Larimer County Engineering Department, 212 W. Mountain Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80522, phone (970) , corneles@larimer.org.