The Stormwater Report

On Nov. 16, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent the Office of Management and Budget revised construction and development effluent limitation guidelines (ELG). The agency withdrew numeric turbidity limits proposed in 2009. These new guidelines are based on new treatment performance data and will set the first numeric limits for stormwater runoff. The numeric [...]

Culverts are designed to funnel stormwater under roadways, but these structures are carrying more than just water. A study from the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science uncovered the diversity of species that use culverts to travel beneath highways. They found that close to 60 species use the culverts, from grizzly bears and moose [...]

University of Florida (Gainesville) placed first in the environmental design category of the Water Environment Federation (Alexandria, Va.) Student Design competition with the project “Stormwater Cycling Design Options in an Urban Industrial Watershed.” The group Semper Aquam compared the effectiveness and cost of several options for treating stormwater at an 80-ha (200-ac) industrial facility challenged [...]

New York City recently completed the first pilot project of the NYC Green Infrastructure Plan. This project is part of a larger $2.4 billion plan to reduce combined sewer overflows, $187 million of which will be spent on green infrastructure projects. The first project is located within the Bronx River watershed at the Central Housing [...]

According to a recent study by researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain), sloping roofs made of plastic or metal can capture higher quality stormwater and up to 50% more rain than flat, rough roofs. This study by Ramon Farreny and other researchers was a follow up to research on the cost efficiency of [...]

Last month the Los Angeles Gateway Authority, a coalition of 16 cities, completed a $10 million project to prevent 381,018 kg of trash from entering the Los Angeles River. The project involved retrofitting 12,000 publicly held storm drains with screens that capture trash. The authority used connector pipe screens, and areas with high trash loads [...]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Water is conducting a study on the importance of clean water to the U.S. economy. According to a notice in a Nov. 14 Federal Register, EPA will hold a Dec. 5 teleconference to provide opportunity for public comment. The agency is looking for input on how the [...]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) webcast “Conducting Effective Stormwater Outreach” is now archived and available for free. The webcast features EPA’s Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox and ThinkBlueMaine’s rubber duck campaign. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) also has posted video footage of a recent congressional briefing on the SPARROW model. At the briefing, USGS discussed [...]

The Natural Resource Defense Council (New York) recently released a report, Rooftops to Rivers II: Green Strategies for Controlling Stormwater and Combined Sewer Overflows. The report discusses the benefits and economics of green infrastructure, including funding mechanisms; provides policy recommendations at the national, state, and local levels; and includes case studies from 14 cities. Related [...]

Pesticide applications near U.S. waters are subject to Clean Water Act permitting by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This change went into effect Oct. 31. The final pesticide general permit applies in locations where EPA has permitting authority. Authorized states have been developing their own draft permits. Applicators will have until Jan. 12, 2012, [...]