Storm Water Management - In Christiansburg, In Virginia

I am still patiently waiting for the update to the town code for storm water management. These changes were required because of an audit performed by the state that found the Town of Christiansburg to be out of compliance with state codes concerning storm water.

In the meantime, I have been doing quite a bit of research on my own.  Virginia's Erosion and Sediment Control Program has a lot of information. The primary website I have been using for my research is the Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation, Soil & Water Conservation page "Virginia Stormwater Management Program Permits". The page has taken general information and broken it into 6 sections:

1. General Information
2. Construction Activity Permit Forms
3. Who Must Apply?
4. Fees
5. SWPP - Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans
   
6. Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems

The General Information section notes the federal authority and the DCR's (Virginia Department of Conservation & Recreation) responsibilities in administering of monitoring programs. There is also a link to the Virginia Stormwater Management Act.

The next section Construction Activity Permit Forms yields links to all appropriate required documentation for submitting a permit.

The third section "Who Must Apply" gives the criteria whereby it is determined in these permits must be obtained. (I was pretty surprised at how restrictive this is given the rate of construction growth around here. Perhaps all those permit fees are helping to keep our taxes low:)

Speaking of fees, the 4th section gives clear information on how fees are determined based upon size of the disturbed surface.

The Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP) is discusses and it is noted that the permit, permit coverage letter, and the SWPPP are required to be kept at the construction site. I particularly like the wat thw SWPPP is designed. It clearly identifies parties responsible for implementing each of the measures in the SWPPP along with descriptions of the site and activities to be performed, a site map showing drainage patterns and potential pollutant sources, erosion and sediment control steps to be taken, and what is required after the development is completed in order to manage stormwater. This document will also contain the written records of site inspections performed.

Additional Information is provided by way of links to various other documents with important information for developers, engineers, citizens, AND government officials.

Last but certainly not least, is a discussion of Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permits. This is where such things as road drainage systems, ditches, channels, storm drains, etc. are monitored for pollution levels. (One example would be the drains near railroad property where stormwater runoff from construction sites and roads is directed to drainage systems dumping directly into Crab Creek). The "point source" discharges are covered under the Virginia Stormwater Management Act and the Clean Water Act. This is the system that provides for investigation into illegal connections and discharges, control of pollutants in construction site runoff, and public education on stormwater.

In fact, under the 2003 guidelines for the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems Permits(MS4) regulations it is noted that:

A list of the permitted MSR's as of Oct. 20, 2008 can be found here.

A summary of the above can be found at: Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP)

The most important thing to remember is that the state regulations establish the MINIMUM standards allowed by law. Each jurisdiction (County, City, Town) has the right to implement more stringent standards. However, it is unlikely that those types of restrictions will be done by elected officials without there being a request from the public to do so. If you think the Town of Christiansburg should take a more pro-active approach to stormwater issues, please let all of your elected officials know.

Reporting stormwater violations: First and foremost is to contact the local jurisdiction. Complaining about something years later is not the way to get things done. Be an active participant in your government and in your community. If you want your local government to do something about a problem, it begins with letting them know there IS ONE! Then, use the link below to followup if the issue is not resolved.