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SUBMISSION OF THE 2016 STORMWATER ANNUAL REPORT TO THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
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INFORMATION: The City of Norman, as required by Part V.C.1 of the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) General Permit OKR04, Authorization OKR040015, “must submit an annual report for each permit year to the Director of DEQ.” The annual report for 2016 is submitted for the City Council’s consideration. The Executive Summary of the Report is set out below.
The 2016 Phase II MS4 Annual Report for the City of Norman (City) is submitted as required by Part V.C.1 of ODEQ Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4).General Permit OKR04, Authorization OKR040015, and covers the reporting period of January 1, 2016, through December 31, 2016. As part of these requirements, the City conducted an assessment of permit compliance, including an assessment of the appropriateness of Best Management Practices (BMPs), progress toward the goal of reducing the discharge of pollutants, and achieving measurable goals for each Minimum Control Measure. The City’s assessment indicates that it is in compliance with permit requirements.
On November 29, 2005, the City received Authorization OKR040015. General Permit OKR04 expired on February 9, 2010, but was administratively continued until its reauthorization which became effective on November 1, 2015. A Notice of Intent (NOI) and other permit application material were submitted as part of the OKR04 application on January 29, 2016. On December 2, 2016, the City was notified by ODEQ that review of the NOI and supporting documentation had been completed. On December 7, 2016, ODEQ informed the City that an additional annual report for calendar year 2016 would be required under the general permit OKR04, which expired on February 9, 2010. In anticipation of receiving the permit authorization, the Stormwater Division began implementing the BMPs as outlined in the permit application material submitted on January 29, 2016. Section 1 of this report will detail the City’s progress towards meeting these goals.
Some of the major accomplishments during the 2016 reporting period include removing pollutants from the MS4 through street sweeping, spill response, dry weather field screening, and infrastructure maintenance; educating the public on the importance of stormwater pollution prevention through public clean-up events, meetings, and discussions; and enhanced inspections and enforcement of construction site stormwater violations. The City’s single stormwater inspector has conducted 1,549 inspections of 109 sites during the reporting period. During the City’s annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection event, held on November 5, 2016, over 132,900 pounds of materials were collected and properly disposed. Street sweeping operations increased in 2016 with the purchase of a new vacuum sweeper, which has allowed the City to sweep over 1,600 lane miles.
A new requirement for this reporting period involves implementation of the Lake Thunderbird Watershed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Compliance and Monitoring Plans. On November 10, 2013, ODEQ issued a TMDL for the Lake Thunderbird watershed, which established a waste load allocation for the cities of Norman, Oklahoma City, and Moore, and required that each city submit Compliance and Monitoring Plans. The City’s Compliance and Monitoring Plans were approved by ODEQ on September 21, 2016, and subsequently adopted by the City Council on October 25, 2016. Monitoring began in March 2016, and implementation of non-structural BMPs outlined in the Compliance Plan is currently underway.
As an example of non-structural BMP implementation, on October 30, 2016, the Stormwater Division held the First Annual Lake Thunderbird Watershed Clean-up Event at the Lake Thunderbird Boathouse. The goal of the event was to educate Norman citizens on the impact stormwater has on Lake Thunderbird’s water quality. In addition, everyone who attended took an active role in removing pollution in the form of trash from the watershed. Approximately 55 people were in attendance. Trash and recyclables were collected from various locations on the west side of the lake. Awards were given to the team(s) who collected the most recyclables by weight and the most unusual item. A group of students from Rose State College collected the most recyclables at 37.2 pounds. The Bailey family collected the most unusual group of items which consisted of a large piece of Styrofoam, a leopard-printed chair, and a pink life jacket. Overall, the volunteers collected 180.6 pounds of recyclable materials, 39 bags of trash, and approximately 100 pounds of large debris that would have probably ended up in Lake Thunderbird.
An additional non-structural BMP that began in 2016 was the establishment of the Lake Thunderbird Watershed TMDL Technical Working Group. The Cities of Norman, Moore, and Oklahoma City established the Working Group to coordinate activities related to the Lake Thunderbird watershed. The group currently meets on a quarterly basis and is discussing ways to work together on public education and other BMPs.
The major challenge encountered by the City of Norman during the 2016 reporting period was the failure to approve a Stormwater Utility Fee (SWU) to provide a dedicated funding source for the Stormwater Division. It was based on a rate structure of $1.25 per 1,000 square feet of impervious cover. On August 23, 2016, the SWU was brought to a vote by the citizens of Norman and was rejected. The City of Norman is currently working on reevaluating the rate structure with plans to bring a new fee structure up for a vote later in 2017.
Staff will be available to answer questions or provide additional information regarding the report or the requirement that the report be submitted on an annual basis.