North Carolina’s Clean Water Management Trust Fund Program

Managing and Funding Local Government Stormwater UtilitiesThe School of Government – UNC Chapel HillJune 23, 2005

Francine Durso, PEDeputy Director

North Carolina Clean WaterManagement Trust Fund

CWMTF BackgroundCWMTF Background• Non-regulatory agency• Created by General

Assembly in 1996• Incentive program to

protect pristine waters and restore degraded waters

• Managed by 21-member Board of Trustees and Executive Director

Types of Projects FundedTypes of Projects Funded

• Land acquisition for riparian buffers • Stormwater quality improvements• Stream restoration• Wastewater system improvements

Projects that Cannot Be FundedProjects that Cannot Be Funded

• Projects that promote or serve growth• Stormwater quantity management

projects• Projects that simply comply with NPDES

Phase I or II stormwater regulations

Eligible GranteesEligible Grantees

• Local governments• Non-profits whose

primary purpose is environmental protection (primarily land trusts)

• Other state agencies

CWMTFCWMTF--Funded ProjectsFunded Projects• Since 1996, over 630 grants for over $485 million

• Leveraged over $780 million in other public and private funds

• Stormwater project funding – approx. $34.5 million

21%

16%

7%9%

47%Acquisitions

Wastewater

Restoration

Stormwater

Other

Funded Local Government Grants: Funded Local Government Grants: Where the Money GoesWhere the Money Goes

• Over $216 million awarded to local governments since 1996

• Most local government grants support wastewater projects

• 14% of local government grants support stormwater projects

Funding Funding –– From General AssemblyFrom General Assembly

• Funded 100% by state appropriations -no dedicated source of funds

• FY 2001-02: $40 million appropriated but in early 2002 budget cut by $21 million

• FY 2002-03:$66.5 million• FY 2003-04: $62 million• FY 2004-05: $62 million• FY 2005-06: $???

Stormwater Quality ProjectsStormwater Quality Projects

• City of Greensboro • Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Stormwater Services• City of Washington• Fayetteville PWC• City of Wilmington

City of Greensboro City of Greensboro –– S. Buffalo S. Buffalo Creek Stormwater Wetland Creek Stormwater Wetland

• Part of comprehensive water quality program for S. Buffalo Creek to eventually remove from 303(d) list

• 20-acre constructed forested wetland – no long-term ponding

• Treating stormwater from 13 square mile watershed at 48% impervious

Greensboro Wetland Project Site

CharlotteCharlotte--Mecklenburg Mecklenburg –– Urban Urban Stormwater BMP Effectiveness Stormwater BMP Effectiveness

• Various BMPs in 1 square mile built-out, urbanized watershed

• Non-point source impairment

• Water quality monitoring for pollutant removal and cost effectiveness

City of Washington City of Washington –– Stormwater Stormwater WetlandWetland

• 5-acre constructed wetland

• Treating stormwater from downtown Washington

• Now monitoring water quality to determine effectiveness

Fayetteville PWC Fayetteville PWC –– Little Cross Little Cross Creek Watershed Stormwater BMPs Creek Watershed Stormwater BMPs

• Had already done study to identify 55 specific watershed water quality projects for the CIP

• Originally requested funds to design and construct 10 stormwater BMPs ($2.9 M of $3.6 M)

• CWMTF funded $766,000 for final design and land acquisition for 5 top-ranked BMPs

• Just revised contract because one site could not be permitted due to wetlands

• More revisions possible?

City of Wilmington City of Wilmington –– HewlettHewlett’’s s Creek Stormwater Wetland Creek Stormwater Wetland

• Land already purchased• City already paid for design and permitting• 7.5-acre constructed wetland• Treating stormwater from 1 square mile

essentially built-out watershed

Emerging Stormwater Funding Emerging Stormwater Funding IssuesIssues• Should CWMTF fund projects in urbanizing

areas where amount of impervious surface may change dramatically or fund in built-out watersheds only?– If in urbanizing areas, how well will project

function as watershed changes? Is it a good investment of public funds?

• Should a cap be set on $/cubic foot of treatment that CWMTF will fund?

Emerging Stormwater Funding Emerging Stormwater Funding IssuesIssues• Should CWMTF require projects to be designed

to manage defined return period storms (such as 10-year, 25-year, etc)?– Water quality scientific basis?

• How could or should CWMTF measure “ability to pay” for SW projects (similar to WW High Unit Cost)?

• How could or should CWMTF encourage the development of multi-jurisdictional / regional SW utilities or other regional mechanisms?

Emerging Stormwater Funding Emerging Stormwater Funding IssuesIssues

• Should CWMTF require applicants to:– Have floodplain management ordinances?– Participate in FEMA National Flood Insurance

Program (NFIP)?– Have stream buffer ordinances?– Have sedimentation and erosion control

ordinances?– Have a SW Capital Improvement Program?– Have a SW utility?

CWMTF Grant Application ProcessCWMTF Grant Application Process

• Accept twice / year: June 1 and Dec 1• Field representatives conduct site visits• Reviewed and scored by staff• All presented to Board of Trustees• Applications go through two rounds of review• Final decisions on funding made by Board

CWMTF Stormwater Grant CWMTF Stormwater Grant Applications: Common ProblemsApplications: Common Problems

• Is the land available for the project?• Project permitting:

– Can it be permitted?– How long will it take to permit? – Better to have permit already and use

grant for construction– CWMTF might only fund design and

permitting, and require new application for construction funds

Successful CWMTF Grant Successful CWMTF Grant Applications: Looking AheadApplications: Looking Ahead• Demand and competition increasing• Clear demonstration of water quality problems

and anticipated improvement (a real solution)• Linked to overall watershed effort• Project located within CWMTF targeted areas:

– Headwater streams, Water supply watersheds, Urban 303(d) listed streams, Eliminate ocean outfall of SW

• Matching sources of funding• Project “ready to go”

Another Source: DWQ Coastal Another Source: DWQ Coastal Stormwater Planning GrantsStormwater Planning Grants

• Contact is Gloria Putnam, DWQ• 919.733.5083• Gloria.Putnam@ncmail.net• Coordinated through the Division of

Coastal Management - NC Coastal Non-Point Source Program

North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund

Website: www.cwmtf.net• Application forms• Funding criteria• Press releases• Project highlights • Meeting schedules