John Gulliver talks at UNL about the Minnesota Sand Filter and Unit Treatment Processes

A very good reference for describing Fundamental Unit Processes is a National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report published by the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies.  In the 2006 NCHRP Report 565: Evaluation of Best Management Practices for Highway Runoff Control, Fundamental Process Categories characterize Unit Processes as "processes that influence a respective system's pollutant-removal mechanisms and efficiency".  A single BMP may use multiple Unit Processes that "treat" stormwater runoff such as:

Hydrologic Operations:
-Flow and volume attenuation
-Volume reduction

Physical Treatment Operations:
-Particle size alteration
-Physical sorption
-Size separation and exclusion
-Density, gravity, inertial separation
-Aeration and volatilization
-Physical agent disinfection

Biological Processes:
-Microbiotically mediated transforamtion (oxidation, reduction or facultative processes)
-Uptake and storage

Chemical Processes:
-Chemical sorption processes
-Coagulation/flocculation
-Ion exchange
-Chemical disinfection

John Gulliver delivered the Water Resources Seminar topic on Wednesday March 30th, 2011.  The topic was "Innovations in Stormwater Treatment".  It was nice to see a larger crowd attend this time (estimated 100) to hear about the research being done by the University of Minnesota.  At the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, his research team is looking for ways to use a sand filter (physical treatment operation) that is amended to promote treatment of the dissolved portion of pollutants in urban stormwater flows. 

Research available from Dr. Robert Pitt and others shows that up to 45% of the Phosphorous load in urban stormwater runoff is dissolved, meaning it won't settle or filter out.  Many of the current BMPs that are designed for the landscape rely heavily on hydrologic and physical treatment operations and would not generally address the dissolved portion, leaving portions of the stormwater discharges untreated.  This does not meet the regulatory requirements in the Clean Water Act.  Even worse, in recent studies, some of the amended soils and compost layers installed into the Physical Treatment Operations and Biological Processes (constructed wetlands, bioswales, rain gardens) are actually shown to be releasing Phosphorous into the groundwater or underdrains. 
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"If a man has good corn or wood, or boards, or pigs, to sell, or can make better chairs or knives, crucibles or church organs, than anybody else, you will find a broad hard-beaten road to his house, though it be in the woods." —Ralph Waldo Emerson
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To provide solutions to these two documented problems, the University of Minnesota team has developed great research supporting the use of an Enhanced Sand Filter to precipitate and/or adsorb the dissolved Phosphorous within the BMP.  There are two sand filter types, the Austin and the Delaware, that have been in use for some time now.  Precipitation of dissolved pollutants in a sand filter is generally undesirable as it would cause clogging.  The "Minnesota Sand Filter" suggests enhancements to that sand filter BMP by adding an adsorption media such as iron filings, calcareous sand, aluminum oxide, steel wool, and steel industry by-products into the sand mixture.

Enhanced Sand Filter example is discussed here for a project in Maplewood, MN


Sand filter enhanced with iron filings to remove dissolved phosphorous from stormwater
(Maplewood, MN). (Courtesy A. Erickson) via link above

 Wet Pond Retrofit example is discussed here for a project in Prior Lake, MN

Other possible applications were presented as well and are being researched.  During the social hour after the presentation, many innovative ideas of how to incorporate the Minnesota Sand Filter into other BMPs were discussed. 

Many audience questions were proposed and discussed, such as:
-How communities would amortize the cost of replacement,
-If public or private installations were most common,
-What is the optimal amended media percentage (5% iron filings),
-Would there be interference from other pollutants,
-Would pretreatment be necessary, and
-Would biological growth in the media be a concern.

Are you interested in these questions?  Does anyone in Nebraska want to be the first to experiment with the Minnesota Sand Filter?  Leave a comment below about a project that you might consider this application for.

Follow the research team's work http://stormwater.safl.umn.edu/, but I'm sure we will hear much more about the Minnesota Sand Filter in the near term as Nebraska continues evaluating BMPs.  Thanks again to the University of Nebraska Stormwater Team for lining up another great speaker.  Next up is Bill Hunt, North Carolina State University-Extention April 13th at 3:30 inside Hardin Hall first floor auditorium on UNL East Campus.

FPF - Changes to FEMA's "Without Levee" Policy

Last week the Washington Post reported that FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate stated in a letter to 27 senators that FEMA would be doing a more detailed analysis of the flood risk in area with levees.  Click here to read the article.

The letter from Administrator Fugate came as a response to a letter sent by 27 senators (including Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns) regarding concerns about communities with provisionally accredited or non-federal accredited levees. 

FEMA's current policy is to map the areas behind the levees with a special designation of "without levee" and put areas in the floodplain.  Several communities in Nebraska are affected by this policy.

At this time, it is unclear how this will affect communities with provisionally accredited or un-accredited levees.  NeFSMA will continue to follow this story and provide you with updates.

Time to Vote

To your left is all the names that were submitted for our newsletter.  Vote for your favorite name by April 15.  The person who submitted the winning name will win $25.  Happy Voting!

ASFPM National Conference - Reminder

The registration page for the National ASFPM Conference is Here

The GENERAL REGISTRATION includes admission to the Sunday welcome reception, the Monday through Thursday conference program, exhibits, the early bird sessions, Tuesday and Thursday luncheons , Tuesday and Thursday evening events, refreshment breaks, conference materials, participants list, a reserved electronic copy of the proceedings, AND 1 Supplemental Training Opportunity (choice of workshop or technical field tour). 

That is quite a lot of value!  The early bird discount window closes April 3rd, so don't delay if you are interested!

FPF - Damage of Flooding

Have you ever wondered how much damage a flood could cause to an individual home?  Check out this new demonstration from FloodSmart.gov. 

This enactment of a flood allows you to choose the size of the home and the depth of the flood to get an estimate of the damages resulting from a flood.  The estimate is broken down into detailed categories such as furnace repair, personal items, and furniture by room.  If you ask me, some of the estimates seem low, but it adds up quickly.

9th Circuit Court Holds Municipal Permittees Liable For Stormwater Releases

You can view the original source Here.  For those following the ongoing struggle to regulate numeric water quality standards for TMDLs through MS4 Permits, consider this ruling as additional precident setting.

March 10, 2011: The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a decision today finding the Los Angeles County’s Flood Control District responsible for the billions of gallons of untreated stormwater runoff it allows to pollute Southern California’s rivers and, ultimately, its most popular beaches. The decision stems from a 2008 lawsuit filed by NRDC and Santa Monica Baykeeper. In a March 10 ruling in Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), et al. v. County of Los Angeles, et al., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that the county's flood control district is responsible for excess stormwater discharges into two rivers containing pollutants at levels above permit limits. The ruling comes as EPA is stepping up its efforts to regulate stormwater.

“This ruling holds LA County responsible for their massive water pollution problem,” said Aaron Colangelo, senior attorney with NRDC. “For years, the County claimed that it could never be held accountable for its toxic discharges, even if the water were so polluted that it literally caught on fire. All of that changes with this ruling. The result will be fewer illnesses, fewer beach closings, a healthier environment, and a healthier regional economy.”

This ruling affirms that the County must do more to improve water quality and protect public health and the environment. As a remedy for the violations identified by the court, NRDC and Santa Monica Baykeeper will seek a court order requiring the County to reduce runoff pollution to levels that protect public health and the environment.

In its decision, the federal court agreed with NRDC and the Baykeeper that Los Angeles County, through its Flood Control District, has been illegally discharging polluted water into the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers since 2003. Although the County’s monitoring in two additional rivers – the Santa Clara River and Malibu Creek – also showed violations of pollution limits, the court found that evidence did not pinpoint the County, as opposed to other dischargers, as the source of illegal levels in those waters. However, the Court left it open for NRDC and Baykeeper to revisit those claims. Specifically, the dischargers are responsible for permit exceedances of aluminum, copper, cyanide, fecal coliform bacteria and zinc that are discharged into rivers at monitoring stations owned by the municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s).

The court strongly rejected industry defenses that Congress did not intend the Clean Water Act (CWA) to apply as strictly to stormwater permits as to traditional National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. The 9th Circuit also confirms that stormwater channeled by man in any conveyance system is a point source under the CWA and subject to the water act permitting system."

Bruce Ferguson talks at UNL about Pervious Pavements in North America

On March 16, Bruce Ferguson with University of Georgia presented his observations about the evolution of porous pavements in North America to about 40-50 audience members at the UNL Water Center in Hardin Hall.  Bruce encouraged the audience that many of the questions that have circled porous pavements in the past are now being resolved and answered through good research.  He cited the great on-going work within the industry to define standards of practice that will help ensure the appropriate outcome once construction is completed.  Standards such as ASTM C 1688 for material density, ASTM C 1701 for infiltration, ASTM C 936, 902, and 1272 for block pavers will all go a long way to help ensure the stormwater BMP is effective for the longest amount of time.  Of course, a rigorous maintenance schedule is required to keep porous pavement working as designed. Bruce also highlighted some practical aspects of pervious pavements over standard pavements like developer cost savings and increased land use development densities.

During one segment of his presentation, he made the claim that using the correct installation techniques will create an underground environment where "oil ceases to exist".  I had to write the quote down to ask him to clarify during the question and answer period.  The bold claim honestly sounded a bit "Billy Mays-ish".  But, one of the looming concerns that always comes up in discussion about pervious pavement is the possible risk of contaminating groundwater when oils seep through the surface of parking lots.   Bruce referenced a 1990 Coventry Polytechnic (UK) study that could bring light to the subject of what soil micro-organisms do to oil in the soil column.  This is the hyperlink I found which you can read at your leisure.  What do you think?  Can we "buy the claim" that, if pervious pavements are constructed and maintained correctly the question of oil leaching to groundwater can be put to rest?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

If you missed this lecture, NeFSMA encourages you to take advantage of the next free events scheduled Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30.  Highlighted speakers include Dr. John Gulliver speaking on Innovations in Stormwater Treatment on March 30, Bill Hunt speaking on Research and Design of Green Stormwater Management Practices on April 13, and Tom Liptan speaking on Integrating Water and Vegetation to Transform Our Cities: Experiences from Portland, OR.  Put them on your calendars now if you haven't already. We'll see you there.

Missouri Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association Annual Conference

The Missouri Floodplain and Stormwater Managers Association, Inc. is holding their 16th Annual conference March 30 - April 1.  The conference is held at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach Missouri. 

This conference is closer to home than others and is a great value for tight travel budgets.  For more information, click here.

Last Chance to Win $25

This is our last call to Name That Newsletter. 

NeFSMA is looking for a name for our quarterly publication.  If you have an idea, leave a comment on the blog (or you can email Lori Laster).  On Friday March 18, we will put the name suggestions to a vote of our membership.  Whoever submits the winning name will win a $25 Visa gift card.

FPF 3/11/11 - National Flood Safety Awareness Week

National Flood Safety Awareness Week


March 14 - 18, 2011


Flood Safety Awareness Week, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was created to highlight the causes and consequences of flooding and educate communities on how to prepare for and protect their homes and businesses from the devastating effects of flooding.


Please join us in promoting Flood Safety Awareness Week to your customers, community members, colleagues and partners by using the tools and resources listed below from NOAA, FloodSmart, and FEMA:

• Ready.gov/floodawareness: Visit Ready’s Flood Safety Awareness Week landing page to download Flood Safety Awareness Week fact sheets and other important preparedness tips you can share and post to your website.

• FEMA.gov/widgets: A new Flood Safety Awareness Week embeddable widget is now available. We encourage you to include this on your website to promote the week. The FloodSmart seasonal widget is also available to post and share.

• FloodSmart.gov: Visit FloodSmart.gov’s homepage to find important spring preparedness and flood insurance information and outreach tools.

• Blog posts and social media promotion. FEMA will be blogging and spreading the word through their social media tools (Facebook and Twitter) next week. We encourage you to join them in using social media content. Draft posts and tweets are available upon request.

LB 683 Amendment 738

The Natural Resources Committee of the Legislature was presented with Amendment 738 to LB 683 prior to today's session.

Previous Bill - Create the Storm Water Management Commission

Revised Bill - Create the Metropolitan Storm Water Management Commission

In doing so, the following proposed commission members were removed
*Representative appointed by Director of NDEQ
*Representative appointed by Director of NDNR

The following proposed commission members were added
*Representative of the Revenue Committee
*Representative of NRD Board Member in the Metropolian Class City

The final report date for the commission is now proposed as December 1, 2011

Senator Heath Mello described the situation causing the need for this bill as "an economic crisis" in Omaha and for Nebraska.  The focus fo the revised bill has been squarely placed on the rate structure of the $1.7 Billion dollar, 15-year sewer separation Long Term Control Plan costs.  As an Omaha World Herald article previously laid out, the current rate plan is going to put 5% of the total cost of the Plan on the backs of 29 "major industrial users" through flow charges and customer charges avereging $3 Million apiece over 15 years.  They are asking for any solutions that shift the cost more equitably.

Senators continually asked the Proponents of the Bill (7) what they were asking of the Legislature, if this was a funding issue for the City of Omaha, and if they were asking for money from the State.  Everyone knows, the State doesn't have open purse strings right now, so "what would be the outcome of such a study." Or as Senator Christensen put it, "what are you asking the Legislature to tell the City of Omaha to do?  They have to have leadership in this matter.  What are you asking us to provide?"  Senator Langemeier (Chairman) made it abundantly clear that there better be a good reason to commit his time to this Commission and there better be some definate outcomes.  Industries in attendance, including lobbiest Julia Plucker, agreed that approving the Commission would provide good assurance that everyone was working together to find the best solutions. 

It took two-hours for the discussion to come around to the fact that this study might include considering the stormwater user fee, stormwater tax, stormwater utility (whatever you want to call it) which some Senators remembered from previous years.  In case they didn't, the City of Omaha provided the last version that went to the Urban Affaris Committee in 2007.  One outcome of the study, could be a revisitation of why the State Legislature may or may not be inclined to enable legislation for municipalities to charge stormwater user fees.

There were no Opponents to the Bill.  Three individuals provided Neutral testimony.  These included the Car Lot contingent who could smell "the tired stormwater bill" from a mile away and wanted to remind the Committee that "this is a sewer separation bill, not a stormwater bill."  NeFSMA was represented to state simply that, "the implications of this study could have impacts beyond the City of Omaha."  As Marty Grate and Steve Oltmans had alluded during thier response to testimony questions, Omaha would be open to looking at the stormwater utility enabling legislation once again that would allow billing property a fee based on impervious surface area contributing to the storm drain system.  This would impact the many MS4s in Nebraska and I felt that point needed to be made known.  Finally, the Nebraska Cattleman Lobby testified that the increased cost of meat packing in Omaha would put their "Beef Epicenter of the World" mantra in difficult straights.  The Senators were ready for a break and asked no questions of the Neutral testifiers.

Just to make it clear, NeFSMA does not testify for or against legislation and we did not do so today.  Today, we were in the room and our presence and interest in the purpose and outcome of the proposed study was made known.  Legislative Aid - Trevor Fitzgerald - will be keeping NeFSMA aprised of new developments.  The Committee is getting ready to debate priority bills, so the future of this one is unclear.  As Senator Mello put it today, "there are many ways to get this Emergency Bill through the legislative process."  So with that, we'll keep you updated on the latest news for LP 683 AM 738 as it unfolds.

The AM 738 Text

NeFSMA/NDNR 3rd Annual Conference - Topics

What Conference Themes are you most interested in learning at the 3rd Annual NeFSMA Conference on June 23, 2011.  Polls close March 11th to submit your vote on our Blog!  If there is something specific you are thinking would be a great idea, leave a comment in on this post!

You can vote in our informal poll for the Conference Themes that you have the most interest in.  Just navigate to nefsma.blogspot.com and look on the left side of the screen under the Feedburner.  You can make multiple selections depending on your interest.  When you submit your vote you can see what others have already selected. 

We are currently soliciting abstracts from possible speakers.  The information in this poll will help us make the decision about filling our agenda.

Also, don't forget that you can submit a name for our quarterly newsletter here or by emailing Lori Laster.  We will be done taking ideas soon.

NeFSMA/NDNR 3rd Annual Conference - Call for Abstracts

The embeded images below provide the information you will need to submit an abstract for the June 23rd Conference.  The event has consistently drawn attendance around 100 each year and we expect a similar turn out again.  The abstract submittal process is simple and straight forward.  Please get your information to us by the end of March.