STORM WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION

HISTORY

Why is storm water important now?

In 1987, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a result of the Federal Clean Water Act, established "Phase II" regulations that require Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) to obtain permits to legally discharge storm water to lakes and streams.

The City of Willmar is a "designated MS4" as defined by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Designated MS4s are classified as cities and townships with a population of at least 10,000; and cities and townships with a population of at least 5,000 and discharging or the potential to discharge to valuable or polluted waters. A permit was required on or before February 15, 2007.

The primary goal of the MS4 permit is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of waters of the State through management and treatment of urban storm water runoff. The management aspect is done through the implementation of a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP). The City of Willmar developed a SWPPP with the intention of maintaining water quality standards where there is compliance while bringing waters that do not currently meet standards into compliance.

Included within the SWPPP are 37 Best Management Practices (BMPs) that the City must implement  for each of the six minimum control measures. The plan will be developed so as to include another 18 additional BMPs to address requirements of the Lower Minnesota River Basin Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Implementation Plan, which was recently approved by the U.S. EPA.

The six minimum control measures as set forth in the SWPPP are as follows:

  1. Public education and outreach
  2. Public participation
  3. Illicit discharge detection and elimination
  4. Construction site storm water runoff control
  5. Post-Construction storm water management in new development and redevelopment
  6. Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations

Annual Reports

The City of Willmar is required to prepare and present an annual report of activities accomplished under the permit for the previous year. It offers the public a chance to hear and comment on what is being done to comply with the MS4 permit. Below is the 2007 Annual Report which was presented on June 16, 2008 to the full Council for the preceding year.

2007 Annual Report Presentation