Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Stormwater-Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping
On December 13 2023 the United States Environmental Protection Agency (epa.gov) released this article :
‘Preventing pollutants from entering a waterway is less expensive than restoring a waterway after it’s been polluted. Therefore, programs should first focus on preventing pollution before it happens. BMPs under each of the minimum measures, but especially under this pollution prevention category, focus on preventing pollutants from contacting stormwater.
Municipal activities such as winter road maintenance, minor road repairs, and other infrastructure work, automobile fleet maintenance, landscaping and park maintenance, and building maintenance can release pollutants into MS4s that ultimately discharge to nearby waterbodies. Municipal facilities can also be sources of stormwater pollutants if BMPs are not in place to contain spills, manage trash, and handle non-stormwater discharges.
Communities can use a variety of practices to prevent pollutants from entering nearby waterways, including sweeping parking lots and streets and cleaning storm drains.
Phase II MS4s must train their staff to prevent and reduce stormwater pollutants from activities like maintaining MS4 infrastructure and performing daily municipal activities, such as park and open space maintenance, fleet and building maintenance, and new construction and land disturbances. This primarily includes:
Developing inspection and maintenance procedures and schedules for stormwater BMPs
Implementing BMPs to treat pollutants from transportation infrastructure, maintenance areas, storage yards, sand and salt storage areas, and waste transfer stations
Establishing procedures for properly disposing of pollutants removed from the MS4
Identifying ways to incorporate water quality controls into new and existing flood management projects
Developing a training program for all municipal staff involved in activities that could discharge pollutants to the MS4
Developing standard operating procedures that incorporate stormwater BMPs for common municipal activities’