Agenda - Public Works Committee - 01/20/2009

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Polllltion Provontion/ Ch)od IJollsckecping Street Sweeping, annual inspection of20~/() of ponds and O\Jtthlls, Llnnual inspectiOlyof 10011u of water quality treLltmcnt devices, maintenance of ponds and other EMPS The application materials indicated MS4s draining to impaired wutCI'S Or restricted discharge waters would have to evaluate how to change their systems; however, specific requirements were not provided. The MPCA has published 13MI' SWUl11al'Y sheets within the last 6 months outlining with detL\ils for these two classes of waters. The City of Ramsey drains to the Mississippi River and the Rum River. The l'vlississippi River from St Cloud to the Anoka City limits is protected from ncw or expanded stormw~lter disch~lrgcs and is considered impaired because of mercury and PCB's t'ound in fish tissue. The Rum River from Onamia to Madison and Rice Streets in Anoka is also protected from ncw or exp~mdcd stormwnter discharges and is considered impaired because of mercury in fish tiss\.le. Rogers Lake in the northeast corner orthe city is also listed on the impaired waters list. The MPCA began reviewing our MS4 application in December 2008 und provided comments on the application. Revisions to the existing BMP Suml11Llry sheets h.wc been submitted for their review. Their comments also required including two new BMP summ~lry sheets, Disdmrges to Impaired Waters and Discharges to Protected Wnters. R~lmscy Impacts: The :tvLPCA sdectedl988 as the year to start evaluating if new or expanded stormwllter disclulrgcs to the Rum River or Mississippi Riven~ were created. The Clean WLltcr Act reauthorization occurred in 1988 so it was chosen as the benchmark year. The MPCA BMP Summary sheet suggests evaluating all discharges that have been created since that date and projecting to the year 2020 for discharges charges from future development. The MPCA is looking at these specific pollutants, increased stormwater volume, Total Suspended Solids (TSS) and Total Phosphorus (TP). The ponds created with developments were designed to reduce the TSS and TP in stormwater leaving the site. The volume reduction must be addressed through use 0 f Lmy or all 0 t' the following strategies: intilu'ution basins, Low Impact Development (LID), rain barrels, zoning or ordinance changes. Staff met with the MPCA regarding the permit for the County Pond Storm Sewer OUtJlllt and arso discussed the MS4 permit at the same time. The Surface 'Water Management Plan adopted in 2008 I'equires all futun:~ de,velopments to limit the peak rate of n111.of1' to 751% of the pre~development rate. The MPC,A indic~lted this is a step in the right direction; however, volume control must also be addressed. Staff has been reviewing volume control strategies adopted by watershed districts in Minnesota tlnd will be bringing options forward at a tl..lture meeting for review and discussion. The MPCA ht\s indicated that they will consider tl prudent and feasible argument for alternatives to eliminating the discharge if the city takes the following steps: . Incorport.1te int1ltn,\tion l;\nd other practices in future developments to minimize the impact of new storm water runoff . Incorporate these practices in re-development of existing areas. . Include cost and environmental considerations in analysis 0 f alternates. in