NPDES Phase II in Wake County: Forging A Collaborative Approach to Stormwater Management APWA Conference September 19, 2005

Background  Countywide Stormwater Management Study completed in August, 2005  Purpose - evaluate the programmatic, operational and funding options available for the development of a collaborative stormwater program within the County  Focused on water quality protection, flood prevention and compliance with regulatory mandates (Neuse Rule & NPDES II)

Stormwater Management Is An Integral Component of Providing Both High Quality of Life and Continued Economic Development to Our Community

Stormwater Management Spans Many Issues that Affect Quality of Life and Economic Growth:  Flooding – Public safety – Insurance costs – Development costs  Water Quality – Drinking water – Recreation – TMDL Avoidance – Stream condition

Most Subwatersheds Have Been Degraded Or Impacted By Urbanization

The State Has Identified 93 Miles of Streams Throughout Wake County As “Not-Supporting” For Their Intended Uses  Approximately 47 percent of streams were monitored by the State  28 percent of all monitored streams were impaired  2 named streams have been added in the (d) update (d) List of Impaired Streams These Conditions Will Persist As Development Occurs in the County

Local Government Staff Are Responsible for Maintaining Compliance with Several State and Federal Regulatory Programs  Neuse River Nutrient Sensitive Waters Strategy (i.e. “Neuse Rules”) – Raleigh, Cary, Garner and Wake County  Water Supply Watershed Protection – Impacts 9 of the 13 jurisdictions  Sediment and Erosion Control – Required in every jurisdiction  Floodplain Management – Required in every jurisdiction  NPDES II

Many Jurisdictions Will Soon Fall Under the NPDES Phase II Regulations Phase I Permit Phase II Municipalities Phase II County Not Regulated City of RaleighApex Wake County Town of Wendell CaryTown of Zebulon Garner Fuquay-Varina Holly Springs Knightdale Morrisville Rolesville Wake Forest

What Can We Do to Address These Environmental Issues and New Regulatory Requirements More Efficiently and Effectively in the County?

The County Convened a Stormwater Focus Group to Evaluate the Feasibility of a Collaborative Stormwater Program  Consultant facilitated process  Representatives from all 13 jurisdictions participated  10 meetings were held between November ’04 and June ’05  Developed recommendations for a collaborative stormwater program to meet common goals

Individual Needs Assessments Were Performed for Each Community

Stormwater Management’s Three Functional Areas  Stormwater Program Management – The planning and management of assets, including compliance with state and federal regulations  Operations and Maintenance – Efforts to maintain collection system assets to ensure that they operate at peak efficiency  Capital Improvements Project (CIP) – The construction of new assets to upgrade older portions of the system to meet desired Level of Service

Stormwater Level of Service (LOS) Matrix

All Individual Stormwater Programs in the County Received a LOS Rating of “C” or Lower A “C” Level of Service rating has not been sufficient to prevent our streams and watersheds from continuing to experience impacts due to uncontrolled stormwater runoff

Level of Service Will Decrease Over Time if Existing Resources Remain Constant Funding Constant Funding Time Decreasing Level of Service

The Focus Group Developed a Vision For Addressing Stormwater Management In Wake County:  Develop a collaborative program with voluntary participation to manage stormwater  Efficient and effective regulatory compliance  Consider the development of a stable and dedicated source of funding  Implement appropriate environmental monitoring to assess effectiveness of program

To Achieve This Vision, We Propose To Move Forward With Two Parallel Initiatives:  Initiative 1: Continue the Stormwater Managers Focus Group to develop/implement demonstration projects to build the foundation for future collaborative projects

Initiative 1 Collaborative Program Recommendations 1) Development of a county-wide environmental monitoring program 2) Development of a common GIS system for stormwater asset inventory 3) Development of a common ordinance and program for post-construction controls (including design manual) 4) Development of a countywide training program for selected stormwater activities

Initiative 2 - Creation of a Countywide Stormwater Management Task Force  Comprised of citizens from each of the participating jurisdictions  Task force will build on the efforts of this study and will consider feasibility issues

Task Force Activities: – Detailed review of the recommendations from the first phase of the project – Cost/benefit evaluation for recommended programs – Identify citizen expectations for stormwater level of service – Develop funding recommendations – Develop an implementation plan

Thank You For Your Time And Interest!

Stormwater Resource Group Initiative 1 (Short Term) Initiative 1 (Short Term) Initiative 2 (Long Term) Initiative 2 (Long Term) 1.Formalize Resource Group 2.County-wide Training Program 1.Formalize Resource Group 2.County-wide Training Program 1.Environmental Monitoring 2.Stormwater Inventory 3.Common Ordinance for Post-Construction 4.Evaluation of Funding Options 1.Environmental Monitoring 2.Stormwater Inventory 3.Common Ordinance for Post-Construction 4.Evaluation of Funding Options Implement Projects Conceptual Plan for Second Phase Consider Adding Future Collaborative Programs Lessons Learned

Each Jurisdiction Was Assigned a Level of Service (LOS) rating of A F for Three Key Components of Stormwater Management  Stormwater Program Management – The planning and management of assets associated with stormwater, including compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements  Operations and Maintenance – The management of stormwater assets to assure that the assets continue to operate at peak efficiency  Capital Improvements Project (CIP) – The construction of new assets that upgrade older portions of the stormwater system and that handle growth within the system A LOS “F” program is non-responsive or reactive while a LOS “A” program is pro-active

Why Does Wake County Need a Collaborative Stormwater Management Program?  Environmental concerns are important to the citizens of Wake County  Citizens desired a higher level of service when presented with a choice in Raleigh  Must responsibly balance growth and environmental protection  Must overcome staff and funding limitations to meet regulatory requirements and citizen’s expectations for level of service