From Storms to Sewers - lecture/program about Long Island Sound

Last night I attended the "Storms to Sewers" program in Greenwich, CT at the Bruce Museum.  WOW!  There was really a great turn-out for this program.  I am guessing there were 100 or so people in attendance.  The whole presentation was extremely well presented by Leah Schmalz from Save the Sound/CT Fund for the Environment.  In a very short period of time, she clearly communicated all of the issues that affect The Sound.  The topics covered included: a look at the watershed, Long Island Sound Study, sources of pollution, oxygen levels in the Sound, low impact development, rain barrels, nutrient loading, trash control, the status of projects such as sewer separation and waste water treatment facility upgrades, and stormwater authorities, FUNDING and MORE.  It really was an excellent program and at the end, there were a lot of good questions from a very active and interested audience.

By the way, a quick websearch revealed a fact sheet (from 2005) put together by the EPA.  Click here for the link.

Long Island Sound Citizen's Summit sponsored by Save the Sound and CT Fund for the Environment is coming up on May 7th - we will be a vendor there.  Hope you can make it.

Storms to Sewers program - March 31st - Hope to see you there!

STORMS TO SEWERS:
A Program on CT's New Programs for Clean Rivers, Open Beaches, and a
Healthy Long Island Sound

Promising new policies and innovative funding solutions for stormwater
management are floating to the surface-- and just in time.  Insufficiently
managed rainfall can wreak havoc by creating flooding, raw sewage
discharges, shellfish bed and beach closures, and contributing to low
oxygen levels in Western Long Island Sound. As older cities find increased
challenges in combined sewer overflow separation and municipalities
throughout Connecticut look to fund their compliance with the Clean Water
Act’s stormwater requirements, inventive solutions with increased job
potential are needed. Specific issues to be discussed include: stormwater
impacts, stormwater authorities, green infrastructure, and the CT Clean
Water Fund.

Presented by
Leah L. Schmalz, Director
Legislative and Legal Affairs
Save the Sound, a program of Connecticut Fund for the Environment
These stormwater forums are provided, in significant part, by support from
the Fairfield County Community Foundation

When:  Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Time:  7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where:  Bruce Museum
100 Museum Drive
Greenwich, CT

This program is presented free of charge to public.
It is being co-sponsored by the Town of Greenwich Conservation and Planning
and Zoning Commissions, and the Bruce Museum.

A Trend - the rise in storm water authorities

Recently an article came over my desk which detailed Washington, DC's new program to charge DC land and property owners a storm water fee based on impervious surface rather than water usage. This is not a new concept, but rather one that is gaining in popularity. As an unfunded mandate, cities and towns are scrambling to figure out how to implement the NPDES Phase II guidelines and in many cases, it is easy to see why they would consider setting up a special fund for storm water.

In our daily course of business, we sent out this article to a few of our clients just to keep them "in the know". Some like to know what is happening around the country while others responded to us asking for more information so they could explore setting up their own storm water utility. One client in Tennessee advised me that this fee is already on his home water bill and he was certain the money would be collected just so agents could be sent out to fine people. That is probably a natural thought if you don't really follow storm water.

At this point, we know of active storm water utility programs in Wilmington, DE and Washington, DC.

It was interesting to learn that sound shore communities in Westchester County, NY are also exploring the possibility of setting up a storm water authority. Click here for more information.
We will research this trend further and update as we learn more.