BOUNTIFUL — The state is shifting oversight of storm water management to the local level and the result will impact almost all new construction projects, City Engineer Paul Rowland claims.
That oversight includes 61 specific items city leaders are expected to address in issuing a storm water permit for construction sites, Rowland said during a meeting on March 27, where city leaders approved newly-revised guidelines and fees.
City leaders formally revised their storm water ordinance and also approved new storm water permit and inspection fees. The city has been charging a $75 flat fee plus a $25 per acre fee for a permit.
The fees have been broken down into three categories now and will cost at least $450.
Since city leaders are required to do at least a monthly inspection, the final tally for those fees may vary, depending on how long a project takes.
“We’re not looking to make this a profit center. We’re just covering costs,” Rowland said of the new fee schedule.
City oversight of storm water has been anticipated for some time. In 2003, the city was required to obtain a municipal storm water permit from the state in order to discharge storm water from the city into local creeks. In 2010, a renewal permit added new requirements and gave the city a time frame to implement those changes.
The Environmental Protection Agency state permit the city is charged with enforcing requires owners or operators of individual sites disturbing one acre or more, prepare a storm water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) that meets all of the requirements of the Utah General Construction Storm Water Permit.
“That is virtually every construction site in Bountiful from here on out,” Rowland said of the mandate.
City oversight will require officials conduct monthly site visits, along with inspections to verify erosion and sediment control practices, before ground is disturbed.
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