Offsite BMP Program for Sediment Reduction February 2017
Collaboration 2 Stormwater Advisory Board support Development community support KDHE support EPA support Win-Win-Win
New Program 3 Cutting Edge Provides alternatives to existing water quality BMP methods Rural, offsite BMPs in lieu of onsite urban BMPs to address sediment Lower costs(upfront and long term) for development Voluntary participation
New Program 4 Greater amount of sediment reduction achieved Sustainable program Water quality benefits continued in perpetuity No additional liability for City No rate payer impacts
Current Onsite BMP Existing 5 Program City MS4 permit with KDHE for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) Development required to meet water quality treatment Substantial onsite expense involved What if the SWAB could find a cheaper method?
Program Cost Factors 6 Offsite to onsite sediment reduction ratio = 2:1 (KDHE minimum requirement) Percent of acreage dropping out of the program every 5 years = 100% (worst case) Compliance timing contingency = 10% (vetted with regulators) Average annual city program growth = 200 acres City provided initial funds = $42,000 from operating budget (paid back in 7 years) Cost per acre per year = $38
Program Benefits 7 Existing program and alternative program comparison: Annual Life Cycle Cost per Acre WATER QUALITY SEDIMENT IN TONS/ACRE 3 140 3 0.88 ExistingOnsite BMP Alt Offsite BMP 2 1100 Existing Onsite generates Alt Offsite BMP removes 2 0.4 1 0 1 0 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
Suggested Offsite BMP Program 8 Enroll upstream agricultural fields in sediment reduction practice Agriculture sediment into the river system is substantially reduced Kansas State University Report Private development would pay for this program enrollment
Practices 9 No-till wheat field in wheat residue with grass filter strip Conventional tillage wheat field, no residue present
Funding 10 City to provide start-up funds for the program (bank) Development pays an annual fee per acre developed Annual fee adjustment could be recommended (SWAB) Development would only install a floatable trash collector inlet
Next Steps 11 City Council supports the program Solicited a letter of support from KDHE Future Legislative changes to authorize fee collection Council actions: Set fee Authorize start up fund Amend ordinance Execute contract with program administration (WRAPS)
Recap No change to stormwater regulations for detention or channel bank protection. Only water quality. Enroll upstream agricultural producers in a no-till farming practice Agricultural sediment contribution to the river system is substantially reduced Private development currently pays for on site BMPs and would instead pay for this program enrollment as a BMP
Cost Computations Spreadsheet of BMP Costs Many variables
Variables
Variables
WRAPS Little Ark River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy Farming enrollment in no-till practices Annual reporting of fields in the program
Frequent Questions
How will the City collect these fees? Annual fee With real inflation of 3% per year included, how would the annual fee be adjusted? Adjust every five years if necessary If the Offsite BMP Program were to end would there be any retrofit penalty from KDHE? No Why the upfront 10 year sediment credit bank? SWAB advice
Why the heavy assumption of 100% of no-till fields replaced every 5 years? Uncertainty in this new approach. How can a current site with a water quality unit be enrolled in this program to reduce further onsite costs of inspection and cleaning? We think this could happen just like a new site with one floatable trash collection inlet within reach of the city s equipment on the street Farm Field replacement costs? same as developing them. What are the administrative costs? Admin costs at 30% of new fields and their replacement costs.
For Subdivision development probably this program is not as viable as a commercial site. Probably true, up to the owner s decision. How much did you pay the farmer per acre? $68.80 paid out in four years over a five year contract. Part of the collected fees fund this payment to the farmers. If the farmer stays in the program does he get any more money? No
Why doesn t the city just pay all of these costs of this program? Because that sum would be an enormous figure in time Other offsite BMPs studied? See the report. Grass filter strips, stream bank stabilization, permanent vegetation, wetland restoration, riparian buffers. No-till captures how much more sediment per acre than is produced by a commercial development? 8x When would this program start? It has with about 100 permitted acres enrolled.
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