A Water Environment Federation report details a new vision for

meeting the challenges of stormwater management—and the resulting opportunities

 
By Heather Harris and Chris French

Stormwater is currently the only growing source of water pollution in many watersheds across the country, and it is a rising challenge for communities around the world. In 1970, 85% of U.S. water quality impairments were associated with point-source pollution. The remaining 15% came from nonpoint sources such as agriculture and urban stormwater.

Today, after significant advancements in wastewater treatment, these values have flipped — 85% of impairments now stem from nonpoint and urban stormwater discharges. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) first administrator, William Ruckelshaus, alluded to these facts in a 2010 Wall Street Journal opinion article in which he called stormwater runoff “the water quality issue of the day.”

Rainfall to results: The future of stormwater, a comprehensive report by the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) Stormwater Institute, presents a vision for the future in which all stormwater is transformed from a pollutant source to a resource.

The report is a product of a meeting of stormwater professionals convened by WEF in July at The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread (Racine, Wisc.). The report was released at WEFTEC 2015 in Chicago to coincide with the launch of the WEF Stormwater Institute, a new center of excellence and innovation created to address stormwater challenges. 

Vision for the future of stormwater

In the vision presented in the report, stormwater is managed through an optimized mix of green, gray, and natural infrastructure, and pollutant source control is pursued as a complement to infrastructure solutions. In this vision, stormwater infrastructure is fully funded and managed by a dedicated utility with a comprehensive asset management program. Additionally, stormwater management is adaptive based on new science, experiences, technical innovations, and responsive regulations. Stormwater management is part of doing business and part of community resiliency and quality of life. As such, the community values and understands the many benefits of stormwater infrastructure.
The report identifies six key objectives and a set of concrete actions intended to achieve this vision and improve the future of stormwater in the United States. 

1. Work at a watershed scale
All communities will have integrated, watershed-scale assessments of their water resources needs and challenges to better align stormwater management efforts with larger watershed priorities. This means long-range planning across jurisdictions within watersheds. Planning and decision-making will account for the many benefits of stormwater controls, which go beyond water quality improvements to increased property values, expanded public education, improved air quality, and more.  

2. Transform stormwater governance
The second objective is to transform stormwater governance so that regulations are integrated and adaptive. Regulations will stimulate stormwater control innovation and improve performance by focusing on program outcomes. By exploring ways to emphasize stormwater program outcomes in permits and design and maintenance requirements, the sector can develop permitting frameworks that, for the first time, embrace the long-term nature and potential cost efficiencies of solving stormwater challenges.

3. Support innovation and best practices
Evaluating stormwater programs can provide a wealth of information. By sharing these experiences, the sector can ensure up-to-date best practices are available, advance the necessary tools and methods to support ongoing improvements in stormwater management, and increase the ability to analyze and value stormwater management on a multi-benefit basis.

4. Manage assets and resources
The next objective is to achieve stormwater systems that are maintained through robust asset management programs and supported by innovative information technology. Inadequate attention to operations and maintenance (O&M) and a lack of effective planning for repair and replacement are the biggest current weaknesses of stormwater management. Key to improving maintenance and developing a robust asset management program is developing a well-trained, multidisciplinary workforce. Also important is integrating O&M into project planning so that projects are properly designed and installed for easier operations, repair, and timely replacement. 

5. Close the funding gap
Many of the opportunities to improve the stormwater sector invariably require financial resources. Communities can start by better understanding their funding needs and looking to reduce the costs of stormwater management. However, sustainable stormwater management requires a dedicated funding source. Education and understanding by elected officials are important, as they play a significant role in supporting the investments needed to meet stormwater objectives. Additionally, there are opportunities to access untapped sources of capital and innovative financing mechanisms.  

6. Engage the community
The stormwater sector must improve its ability to engage various audiences and encourage information sharing between public officials. With increased communication and collaboration, communities can better value the role of stormwater management in providing clean and safe water, reducing flood risks, and making neighborhoods more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Better ways to address stormwater challenges

The actions and objectives outlined in Rainfall to results: The future of stormwater are meant to help communities tackle stormwater issues caused by urbanization, aging infrastructure, and climate change while overcoming regulatory hurdles. Beyond achieving a healthier water environment, stormwater management presents an opportunity to make communities more vibrant, livable, and resilient. 

This report marks the beginning of an ongoing dialogue. It is a call to action for communities, companies, governments, and organizations to work together to move from rainfall to results. To read more about current challenges and future opportunities in stormwater, download Rainfall to results: The future of stormwater at http://wefstormwaterinstitute.org/rainfall-to-results/. 

Heather Harris is the chair of both the Stormwater Committee of the Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) and the Water Environment Association of Texas Stormwater Committee. She serves as the Central Texas operations lead for the Austin office of CH2M (Englewood, Colo.), where her focus includes stormwater management and stream restoration. Chris French is WEF’s director of stormwater programs and is guiding WEF’s newly launched Stormwater Institute through member, stakeholder, and practitioner engagement. Chris can be reached at CFrench@wef.org

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