According to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation: Soil & Water Conservation: Virginia Stormwater Management Program Permits, MS4 is Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems Permit. Christiansburg is listed as one.
Way down on this page you’ll find a couple of interesting sections:
Stormwater discharges from Phase I municipal separate storm sewer systems are authorized under individual VSMP permits. Under these permits, the MS4 owner/operator must implement a collective series of programs to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the given storm sewer system to the maximum extent practicable in a manner that protects the water quality of nearby streams, rivers, wetlands and bays.
The programs must include elements to:
- Operate and maintain structural stormwater controls.
- Control discharges from areas of development and significant redevelopment.
- Operate and maintain public streets, roads and highways.
- Identify, monitor and control discharges from municipal waste treatment, storage or disposal facilities.
- Control pollutants related to application of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.
- Implement an inspection program to enforce ordinances, which prohibit illicit connections and illegal dumping into the MS4.
- Screen the MS4 for illicit connections and illegal dumping.
- Implement standard investigative procedures to identify and terminate sources of illicit connections or discharges.
- Prevent, contain and respond to spills that may discharge into the MS4.
- Limit the infiltration of sanitary seepage into the MS4.
- Identify, monitor and control discharges from municipal landfills; hazardous waste treatment, storage, disposal and recovery facilities; facilities subject to EPCRA Title III, Section 313; and any other industrial or commercial discharge the permittee determines to be contributing a substantial pollutant loading to the MS4.
- Control pollutants in construction site runoff.
- Conduct public education on stormwater.
and
The second phase of MS4 regulations became effective March 23, 2003, and requires that operators of small MS4s in “urbanized areas” (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest decennial census) obtain permit coverage for stormwater discharges. Click here for maps detailing current urbanized areas in Virginia.
Small MS4s include storm sewer systems operated by cities, counties, towns, federal facilities such as military bases, Veteran’s Affairs hospitals and research facilities, Department of Defense facilities and parkways, and state facilities such as VDOT, community colleges and public universities. Discharges from small MS4s are regulated under the General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (PDF).
Under that permit, small MS4s must develop, implement and enforce a program that includes the following “six minimum control measures”:
- Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts.
- Public involvement and participation.
- Illicit discharge detection and elimination.
- Construction site stormwater runoff control.
- Post-construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment.
- Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations.
Guess their claim to fame on the public education end of things will be the town’s newly installed website that does have a page on stormwater. Guess the outreach, public involvement and participation must be interpreted as those times citizens come before council to complain.
Or maybe they’ll lay claim to blog articles like
Low Impact Development — Now THAT’S PROGRESSIVE
Low Impact Development Part 2: “What is this new LID stuff?”
Storm Water Management – In Christiansburg, In Virginia
Where are the studies for stormwater and traffic? How old is that data?
Storms bring Stormwater … What does that mean for you?
