WELCOME!!! POST CONSTRUCTION BMP INSPECTOR CERTIFICATION INTRODUCTION, PART 1 WHY POST CONSTRUCTION BMP INSPECTION TRAINING?

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1 WELCOME!!! 2 of 11 Your presenter for today s session POST CONSTRUCTION BMP INSPECTOR CERTIFICATION INTRODUCTION, PART 1 WHY POST CONSTRUCTION BMP INSPECTION TRAINING? Dan Hitchcock, Ph.D., P.E. Associate Professor, Clemson University Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Georgetown, SC dhitchc@clemson.edu ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3 of 11 PURPOSE OF COURSE 4 of 11 Provide an overview of South Carolina s stormwater management practices Provide a brief technical background review including general design criteria and BMP function Summarize the inspection process for each type of practice Provide maintenance guidance for each stormwater BMP Provide general field inspection tips and checklists Become a certified post construction BMP inspector!!

2 CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS 5 of 11 COURSE DISCLAIMER 6 of 11 CSPR Certification Process No formal education or experience requirements for the course Online training modules Regional field visit of typical BMPs Qualifying exam Issuance of certification Certification is not currently required in South Carolina Focused on general technical and practical BMP elements Always follow the approved maintenance agreement Local jurisdictional and state regulatory specs prevail Contact your MS4 or delegated authority for specific scenarios 7 of 11 8 of 11 Minimize stormwater impacts on water quantity Point Sources Minimize stormwater impacts on water quality Protect downstream areas from adverse stormwater impacts resulting from development and other land use changes Direct discharges from such operations as factories, municipal wastewater treatment facilities or industrial plants. Regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) permitting process per the Clean Water Act

3 9 of of 11 Nonpoint Sources (polluted runoff) Diffuse discharges that are less easily identifiable and difficult to regulate, such as runoff from urbanized areas, farms and construction sites. Poorly Planned Development Forest and Wetland Loss Impervious Surfaces Habitat Loss STORMWATER Nonpoint Source Pollution The lines between point and nonpoint source pollution become blurred under NPDES because stormwater is regulated as a point source. Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) requires an inspection and maintenance plan WATER BODY Nutrients Pathogens Tourism Recreation Fisheries Sediment RUNOFF Contaminants Healthy Communities Quality of Life

4 WHAT IS A WATERSHED? 2 of 17 POST CONSTRUCTION BMP INSPECTOR CERTIFICATION INTRODUCTION, PART 2 WHY POST CONSTRUCTION BMP INSPECTION TRAINING? A watershed is an area of land that drains to a single outlet. WATERSHED DISCHARGE BY LAND USE 3 of 17 WATERSHED DISCHARGE BY LAND USE 4 of 17 Simple stormwater science Simple stormwater science More Runoff Arriving Faster slide credit: NEMO Network slide credit: NEMO Network

5 5 of 17 6 of 17 QUANTITY: Flood control Stormwater conveyance Retention vs. infiltration Salt water intrusion (coastal) Sea level rise / climate change (coastal) QUALITY: Harmful bacteria and viruses Sediment and chemicals Nuisance algal blooms Low dissolved oxygen (DO) Fish kills Downstream ecological health and water quality Typical Pollution from Urban Runoff Sediment Nutrients Coliform bacteria Oil and grease Heavy metals Pesticides Trash, litter, and debris 7 of 17 8 of 17 Sediment Screens out sunlight/ reduces water clarity Fills channels and reduces capacity Sediments can fill up ponds and reservoirs Sedimentation can plug culverts and storm drains Pollutants attached to sediment particles can impact downstream water quality Property damage from flooding Nutrients Most fertilizers contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Nitrogen and potassium are water soluble and may leach into groundwater rather than running off into surface waters. Phosphorus can attach to soil particles and be carried downstream in runoff, stimulating algae growth.

6 9 of of 17 Pathogenic bacteria Can cause gastrointestinal illness at high enough concentrations Typically responsible for shellfish harvesting bed contamination along the coast Sources can be from humans, pets, wildlife, and waterfowl May originate from septic systems, wastewater infrastructure, wildlife scat, or pet waste Oil and Grease Typically released onto soil from vehicle and equipment leaks, spills during maintenance, or during washing Contaminants can be carried in runoff or attached to soil particles 11 of of 17 Heavy metals Pesticides Typical pollutant found in runoff from highly urban areas, roadways, parking lots, and high traffic volume locations Copper and zinc are examples Sources can be from tires, brakes, road asphalt, car emissions, fuel combustion, among others Improper use can lead to contamination Some dissolve quickly in water and can move downstream with runoff Some like Dursban or Chlordane, cling tightly to soil particles and are very persistent Pesticide storage areas should be inspected as part of any site visit The label is the law!

7 13 of 17 WHY INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE? 14 of 17 Trash, Litter, and Debris Can range from careless trash or litter to leaf and limb debris from trees and shrubs Typically visibly obvious, unsightly and unpleasing Can clog inlets and outlets and reduce flows and function Post-construction inspector typically hired by property owners Knowledgeable homeowners and HOA/POAs? Who s responsible? Who, what, how, and how often? Follow maintenance agreement and plan Understand the drawings and plans Education and outreach programs about structural BMPs serve not only to increase knowledge and inspection success, but also serve as a non-structural BMP. WHY INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE? Many BMPs function differently and some are better than others for certain pollutants Urban Land Use 15 of 17 Buffer WHY INSPECTION AND MAINTENANCE? 16 of 17 Show me a BMP that is not maintained, and I will show you a BMP that will fail Dr. Bill Hunt, NC State University Consider the connectivity of BMPs the treatment train Understand causes and effects e.g. erosion hot spots lead to sediment, etc. Vegetated BMPs are landscape features that must be maintained like one s yard Extended Swale Pond Wetland Knowledge of BMP function is critical not all BMPs are the same, and one inspection checklist does not fit all sitespecific as defined by maintenance agreement Routine inspection and maintenance should guarantee good BMP function, extending practice life and reducing future problems and costs Properly functioning BMPs ensure water quantity management and water quality protection Receiving Waters

8 WELCOME 2 of 17 Presenting this session POST-CONSTRUCTION BMP INSPECTOR CERTIFICATION J.P. Johns, P.E. Professional Engineer with Woolpert Expertise includes hydrology, sedimentology, hydraulic analysis of urban waterways, floodplain management, watershed master planning, stream restoration, duringconstruction, and post-construction water quality analysis and design. 3 of 17 4 of 17 Water Quality History Water Pollution Control Laws Where do we start? Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 Prohibited discharge of pollutants or refuse into or on the banks of Navigable Waters without a permit Oil and pollution Act of 1924 Prohibited discharge of refuse and oil into coastal or navigable waters Water Pollution Control Act of 1948 Declared water pollution is a local problem Charged States with responsibilities for pollution problems

9 5 of 17 6 of 17 Water Pollution Control Laws Other Acts Driving Forces 1956 Water Pollution Act (enforcement provisions for federal abatement suits) 1961 Water Pollution Act amendment (broaden federal jurisdiction) 1965 Water Quality Act (set water quality standards) 1966 Clean Water Restoration Act (fines for not reporting) 1970 Water Quality Improvement Act (targeted oil industry) 1968 Chesapeake Bay Survey $3M/YR in losses to fishing industry 99% of sport fisheries sampled contained DDT (some 9 times FDA limit) 1969 Bacteria levels in Hudson River 170 times safe limit Record number of fish kills 26 million in Lake Thonotosassa alone Cuyahoga River Fire Oily industrial pollution in river burns 7 of 17 8 of 17 Driving Forces 1970 Dept. of Health, Education and Welfare reports 30% of drinking water samples exceed safe limits for chemicals FDA reports 87% of swordfish samples exceed consumption standards for mercury. Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 Tasked EPA with developing a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. Unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source without a permit NPDES. Funded the construction of sewage treatment plants Recognized the need for planning to address nonpoint sources.

10 9 of of 17 Early Application of CWA Water Pollution Control Laws At first, the EPA focused on Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTWs) and other point source discharges requiring these sources of pollution to obtain coverage in order to lawfully discharge into waterways Water Quality Act Amendment to the CWA Phase I rules added to CWA Promulgated in 1990 Non-point sources of pollution including construction sites, industrial sites and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) were required to obtain coverage to discharge stormwater into the nation's waterways. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Implemented and regulated by SCDHEC in SC 11 of of 17 NPDES Phase I Requirements Required all construction sites disturbing 5 acres to obtain coverage to discharge stormwater. Defined 11 categories of industrial activity (including construction) if disturbance of activity 5 acres than NPDES approval required. Required all municipalities with populations equal to 100,000 or more to acquire coverage for Non Point Source discharge. NPDES Phase I Requirements Large and Medium MS4s must address the following: Structural control maintenance Areas of significant development or redevelopment Roadway runoff management Flood control related to water quality issues Municipal owned operations (landfills, wastewater treatment plants, etc) Hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal sites, etc Application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers Illicit discharge detection and elimination Regulation of sites as classified as associated with industrial activity Construction and post-construction site runoff control Public education and outreach.

11 13 of of : NPDES Phase II Rules Promulgated in 2003 Required all construction sites disturbing 1-5 acres to acquire permit coverage under NPDES program. Added 1-5 acres in Industrial activities and expanded upon the no exposure limitation from 1 group of activity to all 11 groups. Required municipalities with populations between 10,000 and 100,000 to obtain NPDES Coverage. NPDES Phase II Requirements Small MS4s must develop a program to cover the following minimum control measures: Public education and outreach Public particpation/ involvement Illicit discharge detection and elimination Construction site runoff control Post-construction site runoff control Pollution prevention/ good housekeeping. 15 of of 17 Water Pollution Control Laws Why We Are Here Today South Carolina has: 1 large MS4 SCDOT 3 medium MS4s City of Columbia, Greenville County, and Richland County. All Large and Medium MS4s receive individual NPDES permits for their discharges. Over 70 regulated Small MS4s in South Carolina. New SMS4s named this year. SMS4 may choose to receive coverage under a general permit or obtain individual permit coverage. Second Cycle NPDES Small MS4 General Permit Effective January 1, 2014 Section Long-Term Maintenance of Post- Construction Stormwater Control Measures All structural stormwater control measures installed and implemented must be maintained in perpetuity. SMS4s must ensure the long-term maintenance of structural stormwater control measures installed. SMS4s must require that property owners provide verification of maintenance for approved structural stormwater control measures.