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Compliance with Chesapeake Bay TMDLPublic Works - Environmental Sustainability |
Description
In December 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). The TMDL is a "pollution diet" to restore clean water in the Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has incorporated Chesapeake Bay TMDL requirements into the City's municipal separate stormwater sewer system (MS4) permit. MS4 permit holders are required to attain 5% of the total reductions by 2018; 35% of the total reductions by 2023, and 60% of the total reductions by 2028. The City submitted its Chesapeake Bay TMDL Action Plan to DEQ in October of 2015. The plan documents the nitrogen, phosphorus, and total suspended solids (sediment) reductions that the City is required to achieve based on land use, pollutant loading rates, and required reductions. The plan also documents the reductions the City has made through a combination of structural and non structural best management practices. The Action Plan was approved by DEQ in January of 2016. The approved plan documents that the City has achieved 61.3% of the total nitrogen reduction requirements, 97.4% of the total phosphorus reduction requirements; and 183.2% of the total suspended solids reduction requirements largely through existing projects and practices implemented prior to the TMDL permit requirements. Additional pollutant reductions are reported annually to DEQ as progress towards attainment is made.
Analysis
The City submitted its annual report to DEQ in October of 2016 and reported additional pollutant reductions. The approved annual report documents that the City has achieved 64.2% of the total nitrogen reduction requirements, 100.1% of the total phosphorus reduction requirements; and 186.0% of the total suspended solids reduction requirements. The City is in compliance with 2 of the 3 pollutants and still is required to reduce ~1,000 lbs. of nitrogen by 2028. This is a very advantageous compliance position, especially given that the approved reductions are largely the result of existing practices and projects.
Recommendations
Staff will continue to obtain eligible pollutant reductions by implementing water quality improvement projects and incorporating water quality improvements into drainage improvement projects. Specifically, projects identified in the Water Resources Master Plan have projected pollutant reductions and an implementation plan has been developed to implement these projects using available Stormwater Utility Funds.
Web Resources
Web Resources and Related Information
Chesapeake Bay TMDL: https://www.epa.gov/chesapeake-bay-tmdl
Submittal of the Permit Year 3 Annual Report for General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems, Permit # VAR040051: http://www.charlottesville.org/home/showdocument?id=48977