Montgomery County Maryland Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) Implementation Craig Carson Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
Montgomery County, Maryland 500 sq. miles 970,000 people 184 languages spoken NPDES Phase I Jurisdiction About 12% impervious surface overall About the size of Washington DC Over 1,500 miles of streams Two major river basins: Potomac Patuxent Eight primary basins 2
Montgomery County s Watershed Restoration Program Program began in 1991 Focusing on: Watershed studies Stream restoration Wetland creation Stormwater management projects 3
Montgomery County s Countywide Stream Protection Strategy (1995 and updated 2003)
Evaluates biological resource/stream habitat conditions Rates stream conditions as excellent, good, fair, poor Priority watersheds targeted for proactive CIP projects to undo stream damage 5
Countywide Stream Monitoring Biological Conditions 2006-2010 6
Montgomery County Would Significantly Advance Bay Cleanup Efforts Among the Strongest in the Country, New Stormwater Permit Would Restore an Additional 20 Percent of Impervious Surfaces, Require Plans for a Trash-free Potomac River, and Restore Federally Listed Impaired Waterways Montgomery County issued MS4 Permit 2010 Source: MDE Press 7
Montgomery County s Major MS4 Permit Requirements Implementation Strategy: Develop plan within one year that meets Permit requirements (projects, funding, water quality) Watershed Restoration: Retrofit 20% of impervious surfaces not currently controlled to the maximum extent practicable (MEP) Water Quality: Make Progress toward meeting permit wasteload allocations (nitrogen, phosphorus, sediment, bacteria, trash TMDLs) Trash Reduction: Implement initiatives to meet commitments in Trash Free Potomac Treaty goals Anacostia Trash TMDL (2 nd trash TMDL in the U.S.) Public Outreach: Engage public through outreach and stewardship opportunities Report and Monitor: Submit annual report on progress
MS4 Permit Requirements: Focusing on Restoration Mitigating previous sins by improving water quality From 1995 through 2010, added runoff management for approximately 2,200 impervious acres or equivalents 2010-2015, requires additional stormwater management for 20 percent of impervious surfaces (4,300 acres = 6.7 square miles) That s equivalent to 32,912 football fields! 9
Countywide Coordinated Implementation Strategy Description Area in Acres Total 324,552 Total Area of Impervious Surface 35,965 Eight Watershed Plans County Subject to Stormwater Permit (1) 138,649 Strategy to meet MS4 permit requirements Impervious Cover Subject to Stormwater Permit 25,119 Final report - January 2012 Adequately Treated Impervious Cover 3,661 Inadequately Treated Impervious Cover 21,458 20% of Inadequately Treated Impervious Cover 4,292 10
Countywide Strategy: Impervious Acres Treated and Pollutant Reductions Submitted to MDE in February 2011 for MS4 Permit annual reporting requirement Based on State of Maryland 2010 targets to meet 70% implementation by 2017 and 100% implementation by 2020 Subsequently, targets modified to 60% by 2017 and 100% by 2025 11
Capital Improvement FY09-14 $31 Million FY11-16 $106 Million FY13-18 $295 Million Budget Starting in FY11 CIP funding through Water Quality Protection Charge Revenue Bonds
Watershed Restoration Strategy 13
Watershed Restoration Stormwater Management Pond Retrofits Stream Restoration Green Streets Low Impact Development at Public Buildings Rainscapes Strategy 14
Stormwater Management Pond Retrofits Treated = 34.8 impervious acres Total Project Costs = $425,665 Completed - 2008 Peppertree Stormwater Management Pond in Aspen Hill, Maryland 15
Stormdrain Outfall Wetlands Treated = 6.3 impervious acres Total Project Costs = $102,630 Completed - 1999 Godwin Marsh in Silver Spring, Maryland 16
New Stormwater Management Ponds Stoney Creek Stormwater Management Pond National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland Treated = 105 impervious acres Total Project Costs = $3.5 Million Completed - 2013 17
Stream Restoration After Before Length = 3,748 Feet Total Project Costs = $493,072 Completed - 2003 Northwood Stream Restoration Project in Silver Spring, Maryland
Stream Restoration Length = 3 miles Total Project Costs = $2,074,444 Completed - 2008 Turkey Branch Stream Restoration Project in Aspen Hill, Maryland 19
Stream Restoration Length = 0.8 Miles Total Project Costs = $2.5 Million Completed - 2013 Booze Creek Stream Restoration Project in Bethesda, Maryland 20
Stream Restoration Before Length = 1,901 Feet Total Project Costs = $647,449 Completed - 2012 After Batchellor s Run East Stream Restoration Project in Layhill, Maryland
Treated = 2.4 impervious acres Total Project Costs = $640,065 Completed - 2011 Green Street Arcola Avenue
Treated = 5.06 impervious acres Total Project Costs = $515,517 Completed - 2012 www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/dep/downloads/restoration/greenstreets_forestestates.pdf
Green Streets Dennis Avenue Forest Estates Treated = 20 impervious acres Total project costs = $4,843,410 Under construction (three phases) 24
Green Streets Franklin Knolls 25
Green Streets Sligo Park Hills Neighborhood Currently in Design 26
School Low Impact Development Projects Ridgeview Middle School Treated = 1.96 impervious acres Total Project Costs = $285,283 Completed - 2012 27
Government Facilities Low Impact Development Kensington Library Treated = 0.74 impervious acres Total Project Costs = $355,000 Completed - 2012 28
RainScapes Implementation RainScapes Neighborhoods Contractor-installed projects Measurable goal and monitoring Paired with other departmental efforts RainScapes Rewards Rebates Rain Gardens Conservation Landscaping Urban Tree Canopy Permeable Pavers Pavement Removal Green Roofs Water Harvesting o Cisterns o Rain Barrels Dry Wells Training RainScapes for Schools RainScapes for Landscape Professionals RainScapes Partnerships with Watershed Groups Resources for Residents 29
Residential Priority Neighborhoods Lot Size Status of SWM Percent of homes owned HOA or community group 30
Check out our website for more info on techniques 31
Restoration Requires SWM BMP Inspection and Maintenance Over 7,000 BMPs currently Significant increase in number of small practices to meet ESD/LID requirements Inspect all stormwater BMPs once every three years Evaluating inspection requirements for ESD/LID Significant outreach challenge Increase property-owner awareness Increase property-owner stewardship 32
Restoration Requires Maintenance of Stormwater BMPs County performs maintenance on LID practices built in Rights of Way Green streets practices require monthly maintenance Maintenance by contractor Inspection and monitoring by County staff Before Maintenance After Maintenance 33
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Breewood Tributary Upper Sligo Creek Measuring Success: Small Watershed Restoration Breewood Tributary of Upper Sligo Creek Community Description Approximately 60 acres 33% imperviousness Diverse Community Retrofits Local High School Green Streets Stormwater Retrofits RainScapes Neighborhood Parking lot and tree box retrofits Stormwater Wetland Retrofit Stream Restoration Environmental Outreach and Litter Reduction Local Park Improvement Weed Warriors Biology, flow, and water quality monitoring No HOAs Presbyterian Church Mixed Use Single Family Homes and High Rise Apartments Contractor demonstrating sampling equipment during cleanup event 35
Sligo Creek Stream Restoration Reduces Peak Storm Flow and Improves Aquatic Life in Creek http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/success319/md_sligo.cfm 36
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MS4 Project Implementation Costs Table III-G8. FY10- FY12 Capital Improvement Program Costs for Watershed Assessment and Restoration Fiscal Year (FY) FY10 FY11 FY12 Total annual cost for watershed assessment $ 433,800 $ 749,130 $ 502,244 Total annual cost for watershed restoration $2,942,100 $3,904,222 $8,168,571 Total Costs $3,375,900 $4,653,352 $8,670,815 Table III-G10. Department of Environmental Protection Approved (May 2012) FY13-18 Stormwater Management (SWM) Capital Improvement Program Budget (in $000s) Projects CIP Cycle Total FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 SWM Retrofit 127,010 11,710 19,700 20,600 20,000 25,000 30,000 SWM Retro-Government Facilities. Low Impact Development 11,425 1,125 1,900 2,100 2,100 2,100 2,100 SWM Retrofit- Roads 49,425 6,015 7,410 9,000 9,000 9,000 9,000 SWM Retrofit Schools 20,100 1,270 1,010 3270 4,850 4850 4,850 Miscellaneous Stream Valley Improvement 9,870 2,070 2,070 2,070 1,220 1,220 1,220 SWM Facility Planning 6,750 1,150 1,150 1,150 1,100 1,100 1,100 SWM Retrofit Anacostia 1,620 310 310 310 230 230 230 Major Structural Repair 8,800 1,350 1,450 1,500 1,500 1,500 1,500 Total 235,000 25,000 35,000 40,000 40,000 45,000 50,000 38
Public Outreach and Stewardship Workplan Eight priorities to increase awareness and engagement Continue RainScapes Program and increase voluntary implementation Develop and implement Anti-Littering Campaign Establish the Stream Stewards program 39
8 Priorities for Behavior Change *Vital roles for watershed and community groups Prevention is the most cost-effective reduction approach: Trash and litter Advertising campaign*, increased enforcement, and public and private property staff training Bacteria and nutrients from urban sources Picking up pet waste outreach*, installing pet waste stations, and creating incentive program for installations 40
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Goal: Streams in Good Condition Sculpin Stonefly 42