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Storm Water Management Plan
The Kingsbridge Municipal Utility District (District) Board of Directors adopted its Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) in February of 2008 as required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) in conjunction with Phase II of the Clean Water Act.
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The District is considered a Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (Small MS4) by the TCEQ. The SWMP specifies certain practices and control measures to be implemented throughout the District. The purpose of the SWMP is to eliminate point sources of pollution entering the storm sewers and open drainage ditches which ultimately drain into “waters of the United States.” Existing regulations generally define “waters of the United States” as traditional navigable waters, interstate waters, all other waters that could affect interstate commerce, impoundments of waters of the United States, tributaries, the territorial seas, and adjacent wetlands.
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Best Management Practices (BMPs) implemented to eliminate sources of pollution of the District’s storm water can be separated into two categories: (1) structural and (2) non-structural, as explained in further detail below.
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What is the Federal Clean Water Act – Phase II?
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The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary Federal law in the United States governing water pollution. The CWA was passed in 1972 to eliminate the release of high amounts of toxic substances into water, ensure that surface waters would meet necessary standards for human sport and recreation by 1983, and eliminate additional water pollution by 1985.
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Phase II of the CWA provides new storm water regulations to control the impact of storm water runoff through the issuance of discharge permits. Phase II requires municipal storm sewer systems serving populations under 100,000 that are located in urbanized areas to obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) permit under the Clean Water Act. The Phase II permitting program has been structured for maximum flexibility. Focusing on “Best Management Practices,” each permitee will be able to select the options resulting in the most common sense, cost-effective plan for reducing storm water runoff on a case-by-case basis.
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Non–Structural BMPs
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Public Outreach – Residents, homeowners and patrons of the District’s numerous businesses are reminded that how you dispose of unwanted items (curbside trash, grass clippings, plastic bags, fast food articles, etc.) has a direct impact on what enters the storm sewers and drainage ways for conveyance to Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It may be as simple as carefully filling your trash bin and recycling bin for pick-up. Or it may mean establishing a compost box in the yard for grass clippings and leaves – don’t sweep them down the inlets!
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And by all means – no draining of auto fluids, paints or chemicals into a curb inlet or manhole! Collect these household hazardous wastes items in a sealable container, and take them to an approved Fort Bend County or Houston area center. These centers are glad to take this stuff off your hands.
Please use the links below to find an approved location:
http://www.recycleinfo.org/2012-Recyclables-Home.html
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Structural BMPs
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All commercial and residential developments (and redevelopments of existing lands in the District) are required by the District’s SWMP to formulate and submit an individual storm water management plan that is site–specific for each development.
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Your District board reviews each plan to ensure that the BMPs selected will provide the most efficient removal of site-generated pollutants from District storm sewers.
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By 2013, the District will be implementing some structural BMPs at selected large storm outfalls into Keegans Bayou and Sugar Grove Detention Pond, with the expectation of capturing “floatables” (plastic bottles, foam cups, bags and sandwich boxes) prior to their entering the waterway and forming a bathtub ring along the banks.
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