Help WEF Assess State of U.S. Stormwater Sector by Dec. 31

The pace of new technology, the shifting regulatory landscape, and the ever-changing nature of precipitation itself make the stormwater sector one of the most dynamic segments of the water profession. Attempting to track progress and identify needs in the stormwater sector as conditions change is uniquely challenging, requiring a robust body of data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permittees working in different regions and under different contexts.

Every 2 years, the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Virginia) coordinates the most robust stormwater data-gathering effort in the U.S., polling a diverse array of MS4 permittees on the state of their programs as well as their most significant challenges. The 2024 U.S. MS4 Needs Assessment Survey now is underway, accepting responses through December 31, 2024.

“Since WEF’s first MS4 Needs Assessment Survey in 2018, this initiative has evolved into an invaluable resource for monitoring trends in the stormwater sector, enhancing advocacy efforts, and developing programs tailored to the needs of stormwater programs,” said Lisa Deason, WEF Stormwater Practice Leader. “Participating in this survey is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to advance the stormwater sector.”

Participation With a Purpose

Results from WEF’s MS4 Needs Assessment Survey program already have provided vital benchmarks to help guide national-level stormwater decision-making.

The inaugural survey, administered in 2018, led to the first-ever estimation of the U.S. stormwater sector funding gap — the difference between current resource levels and those needed to comply with existing federal stormwater regulations targeting runoff quantity and quality. The initial gap totaled approximately USD $7.5 billion based on data from more than 600 respondents representing all but two U.S. states.

This funding gap continues to shrink with each successive survey yet remains troublingly high. The most recent survey, administered in 2022, estimated the funding gap at USD $6.2 billion.

The funding gap figure, as well as other insights gathered from WEF’s MS4 Needs Assessment Survey, proved instrumental in helping the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE; Reston, Virginia) assign the first-ever grade to the state of U.S. stormwater infrastructure in 2021: a ‘D’ on the traditional A-to-F scale. ASCE compilers also will incorporate data from WEF’s survey efforts as they prepare to release their next Report Card for America’s Infrastructure in March 2025.

Beyond funding, the 2022 MS4 Needs Assessment Survey highlighted common technical challenges among permitted stormwater agencies. More than 60% of respondents identified aging infrastructure and workforce needs as their most pressing needs, both of which were focuses during the 2024 National Stormwater Policy Forum coordinated by WEF and the National Municipal Stormwater Alliance (Springfield, Virginia).

Casting a Wide Net

WEF’s 2024 MS4 Needs Assessment Survey is seeking responses from all types of MS4 permittees, including those representing cities, counties, watersheds, and transportation departments. This includes Phase I, Phase II, and nontraditional permittees, as well as consultants or contracted professionals authorized to represent such permittees. To ensure survey results are as accurate and representative as possible, survey administrators hope to receive responses from organizations representing all 10 EPA regions.

To enable longitudinal trend analysis alongside previous surveys, questions included in this iteration are largely the same. They ask respondents about their most significant challenges as well as the degree to which different program aspects, such as construction inspection, public engagement, green infrastructure, and asset management, are developed. The survey consists of 41 questions and should take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Survey respondents will receive an advance summary of findings before the report becomes publicly available in 2025. Questions? Please contact WEF’s Lisa Deason at ldeason@wef.org.

COMPLETE WEF’s 2024 U.S. MS4 NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY BY DECEMBER 31, 2024.