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TMDL Tag

January 31, 2017
in Blog, Environmental Services, Stormwater
by Draper Aden Associates

Big Changes Coming to Virginia Ms4 Compliance

A massive project by the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) has the potential to be a game changer for Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) compliance for MS4 permitees. When complete in 2030, HRSD’s project SWIFT (www.swiftva.com) will treat all the sewage from HRSD to drinking water standards and inject the treated water into groundwater aquifers. The main benefits to this project are that millions of pounds of nitrigen, phosphorus, and total suspended solids will no longer be discharged to the York and Lower James watersheds and injecting water into groundwater aquifers should result in a decrease or reversal of sinking land elevations. HRSD plans to fund the projected $5 billion cost by raising sewage rates. In exchange, HRSD will give credits to the cities and counties which make up their service area. If allowed by DEQ, these MS4 permittees will be able achieve Cheasepeake Bay TMDL compliance at no additional...

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July 21, 2014
in Blog, Stormwater
by Draper Aden Associates

New Funding For Campus Stormwater?

Interested in donating to pay for a fountain, walkway, and rain garden?   Mercer University in Georgia is incorporating pedestrian spaces with donor naming opportunities to help pay for water quality improvements currently under construction.  With the stormwater permitting and TMDL requirements in Virginia, higher education is struggling to provide funding to pay for facilities and improvements – maybe funding through donations is one avenue to defray the costs?  Read more about what Mercer University is proposing here: http://www.macon.com/2014/07/07/3186002/new-fountain-rain-garden-almost.html  ...

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January 27, 2014
in The Inlet
by Draper Aden Associates

Albemarle County’s Draft Water Protection Ordinance Advancing

Albemarle County staff have been working to meet State DEQ-mandated deadlines regarding stormwater regulations. In the coming months there will be one opportunity prior to the June 13th implementation deadline on May 15th to ask questions and provide comments to the County on how these regulations and new ordinances will affect the citizens and development community in the County. Currently, there are multiple bills in the General Assembly seeking to delay the implementation schedule so that localities can  better complete the planning process as well as receive input and feedback from their local communities. Please follow the link below to read more from Cville Magazine including viewpoints of several individuals representing organizations on various sides of the discussion. Please share your thoughts as well by commenting below. http://www.c-ville.com/going-clear-albemarles-complex-costly-quandary-over-stormwater-management/...

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October 16, 2013
in The Inlet
by Draper Aden Associates

Hopewell Virginia Recommends Investigating Stormwater Utility Fee

It’s the perfect storm impacting localities this year – new MS4 general permit requirements and stricter stormwater management program regulations – leaving administrators and elected officials with a significant financial responsibility and searching for alternate funding sources for stormwater. Many local governments, like the City of Hopewell, are considering a stormwater utility fee to fund the mandates from state and federal regulations. Stormwater utility fees are restricted for use only for stormwater purposes – planning, design, and construction of projects to alleviate flooding and/or improve  water quality. Read more about the City of Hopewell’s proposal here - http://progress-index.com/news/unfunded-stormwater-mandates-to-cost-millions-1.1568316...

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May 31, 2013
in The Inlet
by Draper Aden Associates

Chesapeake Bay Cleanup to be About Collaboration and Accountability

The cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay is a huge multi-state effort that will span decades, making it perhaps the largest environmental restoration project in US history. Senator Mark Warner and Representative Robert Wittman have introduced the Chesapeake Bay Accountability and Recovery Act of 2013 (HR 739) to make the process more accountable at the federal level. Some of you may remember similar measures proposed in 2009 and 2011. If passed, this will require the EPA to develop a management plan for the Chesapeake Bay Program and restoration activities related to the bay. EPA would be required to update the management plan every two years. The legislation would require new financial reports on the Chesapeake Bay Program from the Office of Management and Budget and would require EPA to appoint an independent evaluator, who would review and report to the Congress on the plan. Read more about the proposed legislation that hopes...

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May 29, 2013
in The Inlet
by Draper Aden Associates

Depaving to Mitigate Stormwater Runoff

In the engineering and municipal communities, we spend a lot of effort to treat proposed impervious surfaces, and now with the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, we will spend even more effort trying to find ways to treat existing impervious areas. Let’s not lose sight of the easiest way to improve stormwater quality; reduce pavement. In the new projects we design we need to cast a critical eye on pavement to make sure that it is needed and serves a purpose. This applies to road and sidewalk widths, parking stall sizes and circulation, and those small areas that are easier to pave than to do anything else with. We need to get this message out: that every square foot of impervious has an impact that needs to be mitigated. This article from the Christian Science Monitor tells how one non-profit group in Orgeon is making an impact by removing unnecessary pavement from urban...

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May 7, 2013
in The Inlet
by Draper Aden Associates

Loudoun County Prepares for Watershed Implementation Plan

I know that I've cited this previously, and might even start sounding like a broken record, but it cannot be stated enough how important stakeholder input and feedback is to the successful  implementation of any plan – especially true in the new world of managing stormwater, TMDLs, and Watershed Implementation Plans – early involvement of the community is essential. Many communities across the Commonwealth will be holding these meetings over the next year. Loudoun County’s first community open houses will be this Thursday. Additional meetings help over the next week. Thursday, May 9, 6-7:30 p.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road Tuesday, May 14, 6-7:30 p.m., Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place Thursday, May 16, 6-7:30 p.m. Purcellville Town Hall, 221 South Nursery Ave To learn more about how you can keep informed and have your voice heard, read about the community meetings on Leesburg Today http://www.leesburgtoday.com/news/community-input-sought-on-county-water-plan/article_e5db1a8a-b320-11e2-94c0-001a4bcf887a.html For more details about Loudoun County's Watershed Improvement Plan, visit the County's...

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March 26, 2013
in The Inlet
by Draper Aden Associates

Virginia TMDL Study Looking at Back Bay, Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Virginia Beach is learning firsthand that TMDLs extend beyond the Chesapeake Bay.  Local creeks and rivers like the tributaries flowing into Back Bay and the North Landing River have reaches that are impaired.  The source(s) of the impairment will be determined during the assessment process and TMDLs will be calculated for the pollutants of concern.  Such pollutants could include bacteria, total dissolved solids and sediment.  The TMDLs will identify the amounts of the pollutants that can be discharged to the effected water-bodies while allowing the creeks and rivers to return to unimpacted status. Many other water bodies both within and outside the Chesapeake Bay watershed have had TMDLs assigned.  The Chesapeake Bay TMDL may be the one that is most often heard about and will likely be the most costly to implement, but local governments and industries across the Commonwealth, indeed across the country, are dealing with the effects of TMDLs...

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March 8, 2013
in The Inlet
by Draper Aden Associates

James City County Developers to See New Fees in 2014

The EPA is mandating stricter stormwater management regulations in Virginia, particularly in response to the Chesapeake Bay TMDL – and word about the upcoming changes to the Virginia Stormwater Management Program permit requirements and increased fees are starting to trickle out. The jury is still out on how much the regulations and its fees will deter development after implementation in July 2014, but localities, like James City County, are starting the process to educate elected officials and the public now to minimize surprises in the future. Read more about James City County’s efforts here: http://wydaily.com/2013/03/03/jcc-developers-to-face-new-stormwater-fees-regulations/...

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