Stormwater, Wellhead Stormwater, Wellhead Protection and Drainage Protection and Drainage

Issues Public HearingIssues Public Hearing

AgendaAgenda

Why Stormwater?Why Stormwater? Stormwater Utility FeeStormwater Utility Fee Uses for the Stormwater Utility Fee Uses for the Stormwater Utility Fee What is Stormwater?What is Stormwater? Wellhead ProtectionWellhead Protection Drainage IssuesDrainage Issues Questions and CommentsQuestions and Comments

Why Stormwater?Why Stormwater?

The 1987 amendments to the Clean Water The 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act addressed water quality impacts from Act addressed water quality impacts from Stormwater. The United States Stormwater. The United States Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) now considers stormwater (USEPA) now considers stormwater pollution to be one of the most significant pollution to be one of the most significant contributors of contamination to our contributors of contamination to our nation's waters.nation's waters.

Why Stormwater?Why Stormwater?

As a result, states and municipalities are As a result, states and municipalities are required to regulate discharges into ditches, required to regulate discharges into ditches, creeks, streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes.creeks, streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes.

On November 5, 2003 Westfield filed permit On November 5, 2003 Westfield filed permit application documents to be designated an MS4 application documents to be designated an MS4 ((MMunicipal unicipal SSeparate eparate SStorm torm SSewer ewer SSystem) as ystem) as required by state statute.required by state statute.

Stormwater Utility FeeStormwater Utility FeeThe federal and state government do not The federal and state government do not provide funding to implement the MS4’s provide funding to implement the MS4’s program requiring regulation of stormwater program requiring regulation of stormwater discharges.discharges.

As a result on November 12As a result on November 12thth , 2007 the , 2007 the Town Council of the Town of Westfield Town Council of the Town of Westfield established the Stormwater Utility Fee per established the Stormwater Utility Fee per Ordinance 07-23 to fund the program.Ordinance 07-23 to fund the program.

Why Does the City Need a Stormwater Utility?Why Does the City Need a Stormwater Utility?

Meet the Requirements of the Meet the Requirements of the Stormwater Phase II Program.Stormwater Phase II Program.

Requires extensive infrastructure Requires extensive infrastructure to collect, contain, and filter runoff.to collect, contain, and filter runoff.

Constructing and maintaining Constructing and maintaining such infrastructure requires a great such infrastructure requires a great deal of money.deal of money.

Most counties, cities and towns do Most counties, cities and towns do not have money saved specifically not have money saved specifically for investing in stormwater quality for investing in stormwater quality management programs, and must management programs, and must rely on money in their General or rely on money in their General or Sanitary Sewer Fund to cover these Sanitary Sewer Fund to cover these costs.costs.

Uses for the Stormwater Utility Fee Uses for the Stormwater Utility Fee

Public EducationPublic Education Stormwater Treatment Stormwater Treatment Maintenance of Stormwater infrastructureMaintenance of Stormwater infrastructure Drainage ImprovementsDrainage Improvements Allow focused effort on drainage related Allow focused effort on drainage related

needs within the community.needs within the community.

Ex: Sycamore / Birch ProjectEx: Sycamore / Birch Project

What is StormwaterWhat is Stormwater

When rainwater falls on When rainwater falls on impervious impervious surfaces, an area where rain water cannot surfaces, an area where rain water cannot penetrate, it picks up and carries with it a penetrate, it picks up and carries with it a wide variety of harmful pollutants. Such as wide variety of harmful pollutants. Such as motor oil, fertilizers, grass clippings, pet motor oil, fertilizers, grass clippings, pet waste, and trash and carries it waste, and trash and carries it untreateduntreated, , directly to our creeks and rivers. directly to our creeks and rivers.

What is StormwaterWhat is Stormwater

Impervious surfaces are areas covered Impervious surfaces are areas covered with buildings or home roof tops, streets, with buildings or home roof tops, streets, driveways and parking lots. driveways and parking lots.

Impervious SurfacesImpervious Surfaces

Impervious SurfacesImpervious Surfaces

Upper White River WatershedUpper White River Watershed

Wellhead ProtectionWellhead Protection

Wellhead Protection is a way to prevent Wellhead Protection is a way to prevent drinking water from becoming polluted by drinking water from becoming polluted by managing potential sources of managing potential sources of contamination in the area which supplies contamination in the area which supplies water to a public well.water to a public well.

Overall, cities and Overall, cities and towns in Indiana obtain towns in Indiana obtain about half of their total about half of their total drinking water supply drinking water supply from ground water.from ground water.

Wellhead ProtectionWellhead Protection

Much can be done to prevent pollution:Much can be done to prevent pollution: Wise use of land and chemicalsWise use of land and chemicals Public health is protected and expense of Public health is protected and expense of

treating polluted water or drilling new wells is treating polluted water or drilling new wells is avoided though wellhead protection effortsavoided though wellhead protection efforts

Wellhead ProtectionWellhead Protection

Indiana Department of Environmental Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), Ground Water Management (IDEM), Ground Water Section, can provide information on Section, can provide information on Indiana’s Wellhead Protection Program.Indiana’s Wellhead Protection Program.

Groundwater Section: (317) 308-3321 orGroundwater Section: (317) 308-3321 or

http://www.in.gov/idem/4289.htm

Drainage IssuesDrainage Issues

Drainage IssuesDrainage Issues Address IssuesAddress Issues HealthHealth SafetySafety

Questions or Comments??Questions or Comments??