Chapter 5: Recommendations

Based on our research into the impacts of stormwater runoff, potential solutions, and existing barriers and challenges, the Stormwater Solutions Team developed a number of recommendations. They fall into two major categories.

1. Improving the way stormwater is managed by promoting green infrastructure and other best management practices.
2. Reducing the sources of pollutants commonly found in stormwater.
   

The team identified several strategies as top priorities for short-term and long-term implementation. They also developed a number of additional recommendations.

Sustainable Stormwater Management and Green Infrastructure

POLICY AND PROGRAMMATIC RECOMMENDATIONS

PRIORITY: Increased state support for local efforts to promote, incentivize and implement LID and rainwater harvesting, and remove barriers from codes, rules, and permitting processes. (SWM-P1) While many jurisdictions have already developed stormwater programs and updated their codes to remove regulatory barriers to green infrastructure, most have not. They need funding and technical assistance to accomplish this task. The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development has developed a model development code for water quality, which is available here. Metro also has a model code available here.

Support for local stormwater work could include:

• Work with ACWA and League of Oregon Cities to conduct independent code reviews and develop guidelines to promote green infrastructure.
• Seek an Executive Order from the Governor promoting green infrastructure. State-level acknowledgement of the importance of modernizing stormwater management to protect Oregon’s waterways would be of great help. The state should encourage the use of LID in new developments, when properties are redeveloped, whenever possible on exting properties, and when installing or replacing public infrastructure (such as roads, stormwater conveyance systems and sumps).
• Seek state-level legislation to provide funding and technical assistance to promote green infrastructure, remove barriers, and provide incentives. (See next recommendation.)
  

PRIORITY: Explore and develop sources of funding to support local efforts to update local development codes, develop stormwater programs, and implement and monitor LID projects. (SWM - P2) Increasing the capacity of local jurisdictions will advance the implementation of many of the Stormwater Solutions Team’s other recommendations. The State Revolving Fund could potentially be used for these purposes. Washington State’s legislature recently allocated $20.2 million for competitive grants for municipal stormwater projects. Consider whether a similar program could be successful in Oregon. Funding could possibly be administered by OWEB, DEQ, or DLCD. One funding concept that merits further exploration is levying a tax or fee on the pollutants commonly found in stormwater, such as motor oil. In addition to generating funds for stormwater cleanup and retrofits, the fee would provide an incentive for reducing the use of these materials.

PRIORITY: Improve collaboration among DEQ’s stormwater, UIC and TMDL programs. (SWM - P3) Stormwater management issues arise in a variety of DEQ’s water quality programs. For example, Underground Injection Control Systems (UICs) may be used to discharge stormwater below the ground surface, which may trigger the need for a permit. Common examples are drywells, floor drains, trench drains, sumps, and perforated piping. As the use of green infrastructure and stormwater infiltration expands, it is sometimes unclear what is and is not considered a UIC, which can be problematic when designing stormwater management. In addition, for certain impaired waterbodies, stormwater management is also a component of TMDL development and implementation. DEQ recognizes the need for improved collaboration, and the increased funding the agency will receive this biennium should enable them to work on this project.

PRIORITY: Explore adding provisions to water quality permits and regulations that promote innovations in stormwater management and green infrastructure and build the connection between flow, water quality, and overall stream health. (SWM - P4) DEQ permits and regulations could do a better job at promoting Low Impact Development and addressing stormwater’s impacts on hydrology as well as water quality.

PRIORITY: Develop regional stormwater goals and manuals. (SWM - P5) There is a need for greater consistency across jurisdictions at the regional level. The current system makes it difficult for developers to implement sustainable stormwater management because there is so much variation in requirements from one jurisdiction to another. This is especially true in the Portland metro area, where so many jurisdictions exist within one metropolitan area. Improved coordination could also reduce the need to ‘reinvent the wheel’ and duplicate efforts. Regional stormwater management goals and stormwater manuals should be developed that encourage BMPs appropriate for local conditions. Greater coordination is possible, as demonstrated by jurisdictions in Central Oregon that worked together to develop a regional stormwater manual. The State of Washington has one stormwater manual for Western Washington and another for Eastern Washington. DEQ can play a role in promoting regional coordination.

PRIORITY: Increase funding for DEQ’s stormwater program to allow for the implementation and oversight of many of these recommendations. (SWM - P6)

PRIORITY: Develop incentives and programs to support the creation of stormwater programs in smaller communities (those with populations below 50,000, which are not required to have Phase II stormwater permits). (SWM - P7)

PRIORITY: Strengthen the compliance program for all stormwater permits, including industrial and construction stormwater permits. (SWM - P8) This includes more rigorous and frequent inspections, providing technical assistance to contractors and industry on stormwater best management practices, ensuring that corrective actions are taken if violations occur, and proceeding with enforcement actions for significant violations and failure to make progress toward benchmarks.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

Explore and strengthen connections to water in Oregon’s land use laws and improve coordination between state agencies. (SWM - P9) State Land Use Planning Goal 6 is about water, but it is not strongly implemented. If reconvened, the Oregon Task Force on Land Use Planning’s “Big Look” could provide opportunities to raise the profile of this goal. There is a need for increased coordination between DLCD, DEQ, and other agencies involved in green development. One idea to accomplish this, which would require further investigation, is to create an Oregon Office of Sustainability to help bridge those agencies, similar to Portland’s Office of Sustainability.

Offer priority processing by local jurisdictions of plans for LID projects in order to speed up the permitting process and provide a greater incentive to use LID. (SWM - P10) Provide simple forms and example designs to make it clear exactly what is required, and make sure all staff involved in the permitting and planning process are trained on stormwater and green infrastructure requirements, especially when code changes are made to allow and promote green infrastructure.

Clarify that the state plumbing code does allow on-site stormwater management and rainwater harvesting, as long as the local government allows it. (SWM - P11) Chapter 11 of Oregon’s plumbing code states that all roofs, paved areas, yards, courts, and courtyards shall be drained into a separate or combined storm sewer system, “or to some other place of disposal satisfactory to the Authority Having Jurisdiction.” While that language has permitted many local governments to promote on-site stormwater management by defining green infrastructure facilities in their local stormwater manuals as satisfactory places of disposal, agencies with less experience using green infrastructure sometimes cite the plumbing code as a barrier. The barrier lies in local interpretation, not in the state plumbing code itself, since the code makes no statement about the use of green infrastructure. It leaves local governments on their own to determine what stormwater management practices are acceptable, which is good because the appropriate sizing and type of green infrastructure facilities depends on local soils and climatic conditions. However, this presents a challenge for governments that have little capacity to develop their own requirements. In addition, the state building codes division has developed code regarding harvesting rainwater for potable use, which takes effect only when adopted by the local jurisdiction. That code should be reviewed by rainwater harvesting experts to ensure that it protects public health and safety without being overly prescriptive and that the code makes it clear which requirements are necessary when rainwater is harvested for non-potable uses, such as irrigation.

Create local fees to fund stormwater programs, and provide discounts and other incentives for on-site stormwater management. (SWM - P12)We recommend that local governments use a stormwater fee to fund their stormwater programs, as several cities and service districts are already doing. This fee should provide a discount for properties that use on-site stormwater management to reduce their use of the public stormwater infrastructure. We also recommend that local governments use a Systems Development Charge (SDC) for stormwater and offer a discount and/or other incentives for on-site stormwater management. Portland provides a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) bonus for ecoroofs. This concept should be expanded to other high land value areas. In addition to the FAR bonus and discounts on stormwater fees and SDCs, identify other kinds of bonuses that could be offered as an incentive for using green infrastructure on private properties.

Allow LID practices to receive credit toward stormwater treatment and detention, if applicable, in local stormwater requirements. (SWM - P13) The detention and retention provided by rain gardens, ecoroofs, bioswales, and other LID systems should apply to the detention/retention otherwise required.

Form local Stormwater Solutions Teams. (SWM - P14) Local groups of stakeholders could be convened to identify and implement local policy changes to improve stormwater management.

Incorporate stormwater criteria into the decision-making process for state allocation of transportation dollars. (SWM - P15) Metro includes stormwater criteria in their process for allocating federal funding in the Portland area. Additional points are given to green streets projects in scoring/prioritizing them. Look into how these criteria could be included in funding decisions for transportation projects elsewhere in the state.

Promote green infrastructure on industrial properties when appropriate. (SWM - P16) In certain cases, green infrastructure practices would be an appropriate choice at industrial sites. In these instances, DEQ should provide technical assistance to promote using green infrastructure to manage stormwater. However there are concerns about groundwater contamination when high pollutant levels are involved.

Conduct local government follow-up inspections of private and public stormwater facilities after one year and again every five years. (SWM - P17) Document conditions in order to assess the effectiveness of maintenance regimes.

Survey local jurisdictions about what they do to promote sustainable stormwater management and publish the survey results. (SWM - P18) Such a survey could be conducted by ACWA or DEQ, with involvement of an outside organization such as OEC. This will help us learn more about what is and is not already being done, and help jurisdictions see how they compare with others. Using a “report card” approach might help create some friendly competition between jurisdictions to encourage improvements.

Look into requirements for federal redevelopment and housing programs, such as HOPE VI, to ensure they encourage LID. (SWM - P19)

Encourage local jurisdictions or regional collaborations to evaluate the benefits and costs of adopting a continuous rainfall simulation model for their stormwater programs. (SWM - P20) This approach can more accurately predict stormwater facilities’ impact on the hydrological system than planning for one particular “design storm,” as is current practice. Washington uses two continuous rainfall simulation models for the east and west sides of the state, and they are closely tied to the stormwater manuals for Eastern and Western Washington. A few jurisdictions in the Portland area are developing their own continuous rainfall simulation models. Jurisdictions would need to consider how much environmental benefit they receive for adopting such a model in comparison to its cost.

EDUCATION, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND INFORMATION-SHARING

PRIORITY: Develop a comprehensive education and training program promoting sustainable stormwater management and LID in growing communities. (SWM - E1) Audiences include public officials, agency staff, developers and builders, and designers. The training program should be adaptable to the individual needs of local communities.It involves several elements, which may be implemented in sequence, in combination or individually, depending on the individual needs of each community.

First, select priority communities around the state. The qualities to look for in priority communities include:

• Communities with a great deal of expected new development; areas that are already growing or are on the verge of growing. In such areas we can limit the impact of new development, whereas it is more difficult to retrofit urban areas once they are already built out. We can also prevent the impacts on aquatic life that result from introducing impervious surfaces into undeveloped areas. It may be necessary to conduct a study to identify these growing areas.
• Small communities (i.e., Phase II or smaller – population less than 50,000) with limited resources and government staff capacity, or other significant challenges to implementation of Low Impact Development.
• Communities with water bodies or groundwater that are impaired by stormwater runoff.
• Communities where there is a spark of interest: ensure that there are at least a few community members, watershed organizations, developers, elected officials or government staff who are interested in promoting LID and reducing stormwater runoff and could be partners in the education program.
• There may be a number of small communities in a region that could pool their resources together. It would be helpful if they have some experience working with each other, perhaps through watershed planning.
  

Education Element 1. Kickoff Conference

In each community, host a conference with a national speaker to kick off the process and raise awareness. Invite potential partner organizations, local governments and elected officials, developers, stormwater practitioners, activist groups, media, etc. Facilitate discussion among stakeholders to help move toward ownership and buy-in by the necessary stakeholders. It is important to allow all concerns to be aired and discussed throughout the process so that a consensus can be achieved for the solution.

Education Element 2. Train the Trainer Program

Partner with OSU Extension, local watershed councils and SWCDs, and other interested local groups to train people to train others. Develop materials in a series of modules that can be adapted to local needs and designed for specific audiences such as developers, government staff, practitioners, teachers, neighborhood leaders, students and the public. Local communities can choose the modules they need. The training modules could be available on a website with a clearinghouse of additional resources. Local governments will be top priority for trainings in the beginning, because local governments must first allow and support LID in order for developers and builders to implement it. Developers, engineers and architects who have experience with LID can play a role in educating local officials and staff. Consider including a visualization tool that shows build-out scenarios with and without LID to help decisionmakers understand the impacts. Include LID case studies from other smaller communities and tours of LID projects. Metro’s Green from the Ground Up seminars are a good model for workshops targeted to developers. Provide ongoing support to the trainers, such as an annual seminar. The trainers in each community may want to form a local Stormwater Solutions Team. They should use existing networks to organize trainings and offer continuing education credits for professionals. The trainers should receive a certification that is periodically updated.

Programs from elsewhere in the country that we can look to as models include:

• Georgia’s Alliance for Quality Growth. http://aqg.ecology.uga.edu/projects.html. This program is focused on the land use planning level more than LID, but they have created a partnership of experts that assist communities as “train-the-trainers”, and they have a set of modules and training courses that a community can choose from to address their specific needs.
• Southeast Watershed Forum’s Community Growth Readiness Initiative. http://www.southeastwaterforum.org/training/growthreadiness.asp. The train-the-trainer program was developed in Tennessee and replicable templates are being developed that can be applied in other regions of the country. It uses training and facilitation to promote wiser land use planning and watershed-friendly development.
• Connecticut’s NEMO Program Commissioner Training. http://nemo.uconn.edu/training/workshops.htm. They provide a series of workshop modules communities can choose from, such as “Linking Land Use to Water Quality.” The target audience is local decision makers, including elected officials and government staff.
• American Rivers is currently conducting research on the best messages to educate local officials about the connections between development and clean water, with the aim of promoting LID and building the political will to make stormwater a priority. Their research is in the Chesapeake Bay area, but some results will help inform Oregon efforts.
• The Center for Watershed Protection provides training and assistance to communities on subjects such as how to develop a local stormwater program, how to design and implement effective restoration programs, and a stormwater ordinance roundtable process. Example projects and current training opportunities are shown on the website http://www.cwp.org.
  

Education Element 3. Mentor Program

Pair up key government staff and/or elected officials in the selected communities with their colleagues in comparably sized communities that are more advanced in their implementation of LID. Provide the mentors and mentees with opportunities to learn about each other’s challenges and successes via tours, conferences and other events.

Step 4. Code Review Workshops

Once awareness has been raised, work with the local trainers to hold code review workshops with local governments to identify the changes that need to be made. If possible, provide technical assistance and funding to help communities review and modify their codes, and train staff on permitting and planning for LID projects. Identify professionals in the community who can provide technical assistance to local governments. Help communities pool their resources together to hire stormwater professionals.

In communities that have already updated their codes to promote LID, partner with government agencies and professional associations such as the American Institute of Architects and the American Planning Association to provide courses and other resources to help designers, builders, and developers navigate the permitting system for LID projects. Provide continuing education credits.

Step 5. Recognition

Develop a recognition program for green infrastructure. Look for ways to incorporate this program in with other recognition programs, such as Better Bricks, National Association of Homebuilders, LEED, Salmon-Safe and Earth Advantage. Also recognize elected officials who have demonstrated leadership. Invite leading LID builders and developers to speak at trainings; engage them in the train-the-trainer program.
Additional top priority education-related recommendations include:

PRIORITY: Compile information about long-term maintenance costs of low-impact stormwater facilities. (SWM - E2) Compile information from owners of properties with low-impact stormwater facilities about required maintenance and costs. Compare that to maintenance costs for conventional stormwater facilities and distribute the findings to those making decisions on stormwater options (public officials, community staff, developers, builders, etc.).

PRIORITY: Encourage green building certification programs require a minimum level of LID practices, not just optional points. (SWM - E3) Convene certification programs such as LEED-ND, EarthAdvantage and Salmon-Safe to find overlaps regarding LID, and ensure that certified sites protect hydrology and water quality. Promote those programs that do successfully reduce urban runoff impacts.

PRIORITY: Develop a stormwater management class or degree program at an Oregon Community College or University that blends landscape architecture and engineering. (SWM - E4) The designers of tomorrow need to be educated in LID today.

PRIORITY: Provide a simple owner’s manual or brochure for property owners on maintenance responsibilities and benefits of their on-site stormwater facility, and note the facility’s existence on the deed. (SWM - E5) Partner with realtors to educate new homeowners about stormwater facilities as amenities. Examples of manuals targeting homeowners and Home Owners Associations produced by the City of Portland are at http://www.portlandonline.com/bes/index.cfm?c=34980.

PRIORITY: Develop an online BMP clearinghouse. (SWM - E6) A central clearinghouse of information documenting LID best management practices is needed, including a cost/benefit analysis of LID practices, case studies, maintenance requirements, and effectiveness monitoring results. When people get new information about the use of a BMP, they should be able to link that back to a common, statewide or regional website. There is a national website, www.bmpdatabase.org, which includes effectiveness monitoring results, but does not include cost/benefit analyses or case studies and includes few local LID facilities. Take this information about the performance and effectiveness of LID facilities and translate it into easily accessible and digested reports for broad dissemination.

PRIORITY: Install green stormwater facilities at schools, parks, hospitals and other visible properties. (SWM - E7) Such facilities would provide an excellent educational opportunity. Green stormwater facilities on public and commercial properties should include signage explaining what they are and why they’re there, their benefits and how to maintain them. Repeating the message over and over raises awareness.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

Assemble and provide “Best Practices” training and guidelines related to design, grading, infiltration, soils and plants for LID vegetated facilities. (SWM - E8) Typically those in the construction industry, public inspectors, plan reviewers and stormwater engineers have not been given the training or skill development opportunities related to the best use and care of the vegetated components in these LID facilities. Develop training programs to give these audiences the tools they need to be successful in the implementation of their local programs and projects.

Raise awareness within government agencies of how poor coordination and slow permitting processes are barriers to implementing LID practices, and encourage improvements. (SWM - E9) Develop a presentation on a case study development, showing where builders get hung up in the process. Help convene cross-agency meetings to improve the process. We can facilitate a discussion, but change will require leadership from within.

Support developer-led efforts to promote LID. (SWM - E10) The National Homebuilders Association is working with local chapters to develop an incentive-driven green building standard focusing on builder education. Support and promote these kinds of proactive programs, and ensure that adequate emphasis is placed on mimicking the natural hydrology of the site.

Provide market research to builders and developers interested in implementing LID. (SWM - E11) In order to help demonstrate that LID is marketable, conduct a study of whether LID and greenbuiding properties sell faster or at a higher price and share that information broadly.

Develop private-public partnerships to promote downspout disconnects where desirable. (SWM - E12) In areas where disconnecting home downspouts is desirable, work with local hardware stores and/or large chains such as Home Depot to provide information about how to disconnect a downspout and install a raingarden (and sell the necessary materials).

Develop guidelines for pervious pavement installation. (SWM - E13) Research and provide examples of successful uses of pervious pavement (including concrete and asphalt), and develop guidelines that set parameters for materials and installation.

Certify pervious pavement installation. (SWM - E14) There are some certifications for installing pervious pavement. If the certifications became more standard and local jurisdictions required them, uneasiness about pervious pavement’s effectiveness would be relieved.

TECHNICAL RESEARCH NEEDS

Research is needed to inform the development of regional stormwater goals. (SWM - R1) Because Oregon is very diverse, with significant variations in elevation, climate, topography, vegetation, soils and geology, the natural hydrologic regime, including natural rates of infiltration, runoff, and evapotranspiration, varies around the state. As we work to create development that mimics natural hydrology, it may be necessary to conduct research and studies to determine what that looks like in different regions of the state. Potential research questions include: What is the hydrologic regime in different regions around the state, and what should hydrologic goals be for each region? Are there useful thresholds that can inform us about what degree of hydrological alteration is acceptable while still protecting the state’s waters? Based on projected population growth across the state, which watersheds are expected to experience the greatest development pressures in the future?

Develop cost/benefit and ecosystem services valuation data. (SWM - R2) Costs of construction and ongoing maintenance are only one measure of cost/benefit. Much of the value of LID techniques is in the benefits that accrue to air quality, habitats, stream and floodplain resources, pedestrian facilities and bikeways, neighborhood and business districts, and community values. Quantify these benefits and share them with consumers, elected officials and practitioners so they can more accurately understand and value these techniques.

Compile information about maintenance costs and long-term effectiveness of proprietary stormwater filtration devices. (SWM - R3) Front-end installation costs for filtration devices may sometimes be lower than green infrastructure solutions. However, the filters need to be replaced periodically in order to maintain their effectiveness, which can be costly in the long run. When such filtration devices are installed on private property, they are usually not maintained properly because there is no incentive for doing so. The long-term costs and effectiveness need to be considered with adequate information when stormwater systems are being designed.

Additional research is needed regarding long-term performance, maintenance requirements and costs for pervious asphalt and concrete. (SWM - R4)

Additional research is needed to address groundwater contamination concerns regarding the use of green infrastructure on industrial properties and in wellfield management areas. (SWM - R5)

Additional research is needed on plant materials, their suitability in different conditions around the state, and their water quality impacts. (SWM - R6)

Additional research is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of green infrastructure BMPs in reducing flow, which should reduce the need for traditional stormwater infrastructure (e.g., gutter and pipe systems and large detention ponds). (SWM - R7)

Do a side-by-side comparison of the water quality and flow benefits from pervious pavement versus directing water from an impervious street to a vegetated swale. (SWM - R8)

Pollution Prevention

The Stormwater Solutions Team developed a number of educational recommendations, as well as some policy changes, to address the common sources of stormwater pollution.

POLICY AND PROGRAMMATIC RECOMMENDATIONS

PRIORITY: DEQ and local MS4 jurisdictions should ensure that builders doing construction on sites that are part of a common plan of development are implementing sediment and erosion control best management practices and obtaining necessary permits. (PP-P1) Many construction projects for subdivisions result in the developer (the permittee) selling all or some of the lots to builders. These builders sometimes do not have knowledge about how to prevent erosion from the construction site, and the developer may not have a mechanism for ensuring compliance with their construction stormwater permit. Having the builder obtain their own permits and developing transfer agreements between developers and homebuilders would ensure that builders prevent erosion from the construction site and meet state and local permit requirements.

PRIORITY: Local jurisdictions should ensure that their public and private catch basins and storm drains are cleaned on a regular basis. (PP-P2)

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

Cities and counties should lead the way by reducing pesticide and herbicide use on their parks and public properties, and converting some areas to native or low maintenance landscaping as demonstration projects. (PP-P3) This recommendation could be taken a step further by requiring public properties to be models for pesticide reduction by using Integrated Pest Management.

Identify catch basins on parking lots and streets with heavy pollutant loads and install an additional filtration device or other BMP, in accordance with permit codes and standards. (PP-P4)

Local jurisdictions should ensure a system is in place to detect and respond to accidental or illicit spills in storm drains, and notify nearby property owners when an incident has occurred. (PP-P5)

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS

There are a number of existing programs targeting stormwater pollution. We seek to build upon those existing programs and expand the best ones to areas where they have not yet been implemented. We recommend programs that work with residents and businesses to overcome barriers to changing their behaviors, in addition to broad educational efforts.

PRIORITY: Expand and standardize stormwater courses for Designated Erosion and Sediment Inspectors. (PP-E1) Many developers and builders do not fully understand the erosion and sediment control best management practices (BMPs) needed to comply with their 1200-C permit. They are required to designate an Erosion and Sediment Control Inspector knowledgeable in installing and maintaining BMPs. However, that person may not fully understand how to inspect and maintain these controls to prevent erosion from the site in accordance with the 1200C permit. Courses for Designated Erosion and Sediment Inspectors are currently offered by Clackamas Water Environment Services and Rogue Valley Sewer Services. Additional education courses that may include certifying participants in the installation and maintenance of BMPs should be expanded and standardized around the state to ensure that all Designated Erosion and Sediment Control Inspectors are knowledgeable.

PRIORITY: Gather information from existing municipal construction programs and provide that information to smaller cities; encourage them to implement the programs most applicable to them. (PP-E2) Currently, small cities that are not required to have a Phase I or II Permit are not required to provide any stormwater quality programs for construction sites. We recommend gathering information from the programs in Phase I and II cities that smaller cities could easily implement, that are cost effective, and have been determined by Phase I or II permittees to be effective. Provide that information to smaller cities and encourage them to implement the ones most applicable to their city – the “low hanging fruit.”

PRIORITY: Provide training to building inspectors, watershed councils and other citizen groups about red flags to look for at construction sites. (PP-E3) Since stormwater quality violations can happen often in a city, additional help in observing and reporting these violations is welcome. Phase I and II permittees often encourage residents and others to call hotlines when they notice erosion, spills, dumping or other actions that may cause pollutants to enter the stormwater system. Signs with hotline numbers are sometimes posted at construction sites. This is a good step, but the public does not know what to look for. Cities should strongly encourage and train Building Inspectors to look for stormwater quality issues at construction sites and call the hotline to report concerns. Training could also be offered to members of watershed councils and other citizen groups. Tualatin Riverkeepers has developed a brochure for citizens on the correct implementation of construction BMPs.

PRIORITY: Compile information about successful programs to reduce urban use of pesticides and fertilizers, and make that available in an accessible website. (PP-E4) Because so many programs already exist, our recommendation is to gather information about the most effective programs and disseminate it, perhaps on an easily accessible website. The U.S. EPA has a “Nonpoint Source Outreach Toolbox” on its website, which includes samples of TV, radio and print advertising materials on numerous pollution prevention topics that relate to stormwater. What is needed is a clearinghouse of programs that are tailored to Oregon communities, and information about the effectiveness of incentive programs and various marketing approaches, not just advertising. There is a need for a range of educational programs, including naturescaping courses for greenthumbs, programs with simpler messages targeted at typical homeowners, certification programs such as the Eco-Biz program for professional landscaping firms and public agencies, and Salmon-Safe certification for commercial properties.

PRIORITY: Promote less input-intensive alternatives to grass lawns, including native landscaping and “eco-lawns”, which use less water, need less mowing and thrive without fertilizers. (PP-E5)

PRIORITY: Study ways to reduce stormwater pollution from unregulated, semi-industrial businesses such as drive-throughs, stores with heavily used, large parking lots, garden centers, used tire centers, and gas stations. (PP-E6)

PRIORITY: Develop an education and incentive program to increase cleaning and maintenance of private stormdrains and catchbasins. (PP-E7) Gresham’s Stormdrain Cleaning Assistance Program (SCAP) is one example. SCAP helps businesses with private catchbasins coordinate with private drain cleaning vendors. Normally, companies charge $130 or more for a private service call for one drain. However, through this program, the average cost per business is $35-$65 per drain. The more businesses sign up for the program, the less expensive it is for each of them. The discounts offered in a program like this one could be used as an incentive to improve related practices, such as marking catchbasins, sweeping instead of washing pavement, and other measures depending on the business.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS:

Develop educational programs to reduce automotive fluid leaks. (PP-E8) Develop educational materials for auto owners and develop incentives for repairing leaks. Potential partners include oil change businesses such as Jiffy Lube, Eco-Biz certified auto shops, DEQ air emissions test stations, auto supply stores, and parking garages. Research successful programs from around the country.

Educate business owners and managers about how to clean their parking lots without hosing them down. (PP-E9)

Encourage the Oregon Contractors Board to include in its erosion control certification a training on how to adapt an engineer’s design to the site and make sure it’s working. (PP-10)

Continue to support, promote and expand household hazardous waste collection events in order to reduce dumping of pollutants in stormdrains. (PP-E11)

Study ways to reduce other sources of stormwater pollution, including zinc in moss killer and galvanized metal, and copper in flashing, downspouts and automotive brake pads. (PP-E12)

Expand stormdrain marking programs. (PP-E13) Jurisdictions should work together to purchase materials in bulk and reduce costs. Stormdrain marking programs exist around the state, and these efforts sometimes rise and fall due to funding. There are several types of stormdrain markers, and each has its pros and cons:

• Stenciled markers only last two to three years, but they are inexpensive, can be applied by volunteers, and provide a community involvement opportunity.
• Plastic markers fastened with adhesive last longer and can be installed by volunteers, but they can come loose and lose their visibility over time due to scratches.
• Metal markers are available, but they cost approximately $3 each. They need to be bolted down, so they may not be suitable for installation by volunteers.
• Thermoplastic markers are useful for high traffic areas because they are highly visible, but City/County maintenance staff must install them because they have to be heated to adhere to the pavement.

Cities and other interested parties should work together and purchase large quantities of storm drain markers to reduce the price. It makes sense to work with volunteer groups to stencil or install plastic markers on existing stormdrains, and require metal or thermoplastic markers as a component of all new storm drains.

TECHNICAL RESEARCH NEEDS

Explore PAH-free alternatives to tar-based parking lot sealants. (PP-R1)

Perform research to determine the effectiveness of optimized or enhanced street sweeping as a stormwater BMP by itself or in conjunction with other BMPs under several land use scenarios. (PP-R2)