Council approves new stormwater manager position
The City Council created a new position for city government at its regular meeting last week. It established a full-time stormwater manager position.
“This position will be responsible for implementing community-wide programs to protect our waters from urban stormwater pollution,” says Paso Robles City Manager Jim App. “In other words, efforts will be undertaken to reduce, if not eliminate, pollutants from entering our rivers, creeks, and water supply.”
Salary for the stormwater manager position will range from $75,700 to $96,200 per year, according to Matt Thompson, the city’s wastewater manager. The total cost of the position, including all overhead costs and benefits, will be up to $156,000 per year, he said. Recruitment for the position will begin in late spring.
The Federal Clean Water Act requires all cities to implement stormwater management programs, to protect the water supply from urban stormwater pollution such as trash, oil, pesticides. The city currently has a half-time stormwater manager, Patti Gwathmey, to manage and implement its stormwater program. She is also responsible for controlling industrial discharges to the sanitary sewer system.
After hiring a full-time stormwater manager Gwathmey “will transition to working full-time as the city’s industrial waste manager,” Thompson said. “She will be working with various industries in Paso Robles to ensure their wastewater discharges do not harm the sewer system,” he said. “This will help reduce the salinity of the City’s wastewater, thus improve the quality of the City’s future recycled water supply.”
In a report to the council, Public Works Director Doug Monn said, “As a result of increasing regulation, management and implementation of the city’s existing stormwater program has become more than a half-time commitment. Also, increased scrutiny of the city’s industrial waste program by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the need to reduce salt discharges into the city sewer system, requires improved control of industrial discharges to the city sewer system.”
The new stormwater manager position includes the following duties:
- Participate in a regional community based social marketing campaign;
- Train plan reviewers and permitting staff in Community Development to review erosion and sediment control plan;
- Inform contractors about training opportunities for controlling pollution from construction sites;
- Update City website to include information on controlling pollution from construction sites;
- Provide public education to reduce pollution from organized car washes;
- Develop a training program for City staff on pollution prevention and good housekeeping practices;
- Assess City staff’s knowledge of pollution prevention and good housekeeping every other year;
- Require contractors doing operational or maintenance work for the City to comply with stormwater requirements;
- Develop a public involvement strategy that establishes which City staff are responsible for specific tasks and goals;
- Improve the City’s electronic storm drain map;
- Create an inventory of all industrial facilities and update annually. Determine if such facilities have Industrial Stormwater Permit coverage.
- Develop and implement procedures to identify illicit discharges from “priority” areas;
- Sample any storm drain outfalls that are flowing 72 hours after the last rain event during storm drain mapping;
- Conduct annual dry weather sampling of discharges from outfalls in priority areas, determine if samples exceed action levels, and do follow-up investigations where illicit discharges are suspected;
- Develop written procedures for investigating illicit discharges;
- Determine and document the source of non-stormwater discharges. Require the responsible person to take corrective action within 72 hours;
- Create and maintain an inventory of construction sites;
- Develop procedures to review and approve construction plans;
- Require submittal of Erosion and Sediment Control Plans. Develop a checklist for review of such plans;
- Develop and maintain an inventory of City owned or operated facilities that are a threat to water quality. Map them;
- Assess the City facilities annually and identify pollutant hot spots. Document the assessment;
- Develop and implement Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans for City facilities with pollutant hot spots;
- Develop an inspection checklist. Inspect hot spot facilities quarterly and track inspections;
- Assess and prioritize storm drain maintenance. Determine high priority catch basins (drain inlets);
- Clean out the high priority catch basins annually;
- Prioritize surface drainage structures (e.g., detention basins). Clean out trash and debris from priority facilities annually;
- Assess Public Works maintenance activities (e.g., street repair, herbicide application) and develop and implement applicable best management practices (BMPs). Assess the BMPs quarterly for effectiveness;
- Change landscaping design and management to rely less on chemicals;
- Assist Community Development with implementation of the Central Coast’s Post-Construction requirements;
- Meet with the State Water Board to determine whether water quality monitoring monitoring effort;
- Develop a program to assess effectiveness and improve the stormwater program; and
- Prepare and submit annual reports to State Water Board.
Comments
