On Aug. 10, the District of Columbia Department of the Environment (DDOE) published its Proposed Rulemaking on Stormwater Management and Soil Erosion and Sediment Control. Along with the proposed rule, DDOE also released a Draft Stormwater Management Guidebook. Public comment on the proposed rule and draft guidance is open until Nov. 8. The proposed rule is also described in more detail in an open-access Water Environment & Technology article — “Making Stormwater Retrofits Pay” — written by DDOE’s Brian Van Wye.

The District of Columbia is working to implement a precedent-setting stormwater permit with a 1.2-in. retention standard. The proposed rulemaking is an effort to create flexible compliance alternatives by providing offsite options. The proposed rule also creates a financial incentive through a trading program that uses Stormwater Retention Credits, which can be sold to regulated sites.