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Background
The City of Berkeley Lake is a Phase I Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permittee under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The NPDES Phase I Permit requires certain actions on the part of the City, including adoption and implementation of a Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) and preparation of an annual report for review and approval by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD).
Historically, Berkeley Lake was a co-permittee with Gwinnett County. The County provided stormwater services to the Gwinnett cities, and, for the purposes of NPDES compliance, Gwinnett cities were covered under the Gwinnett County SWMP. While we had to prepare annual reports each year, most report areas were covered by Gwinnett County services and activities.
When Gwinnett County decided to implement a stormwater utility fee, the County gave Gwinnett cities the choice of joining the utility and remaining co-permittees, or not joining and breaking the co-permittee relationship as well as not receiving any services from the County utility. The Gwinnett Municipal Association (GwMA) selected an independent consultant to evaluate each City’s stormwater program so that each City could make an informed decision about whether to participate with Gwinnett County or take on primary responsibility for NPDES compliance. All but one of the Gwinnett cities chose not to participate in the County stormwater utility.
The consultant then drafted SWMP’s for each of the participating cities for submittal to EPD. On August 4, 2008 the City of Berkeley Lake received a letter from EPD indicating that the SWMP document was acceptable. The SWMP was a prerequisite for obtaining an independent NPDES Permit.
The City received a letter dated June 12, 2009 issuing the City’s MS4 NPDES Permit No: GAS000138. The permit is effective until June 11, 2014. As required under that permit, the City is continuing to provide annual MS4 reports to EPD. Annual reports covering the reporting period of May 1st – April 30th are due by June 15th each year.
Stormwater Ordinances
The City has a number of ordinances, many of which are based partially or completely upon model ordinances provided by the North Georgia Metropolitan Planning District (the District), that are directly or indirectly related to stormwater. They are as follows:
- Illicit Discharge and Illegal Connection Ordinance;
- Post Development Stormwater Management for Development and Redevelopment Ordinance;
- Floodplain Management Ordinance;
- Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance;
- Stream Buffer Protection Ordinance;
- Litter Control Ordinance; and
- Conservation Subdivision/Open Space Development Ordinance.
In 2004, the City adopted the Gwinnett County Development Regulations, which include regulations pertaining to stormwater management.
2007 Stormwater Infrastructure Project
In 2006-2007 using SPLOST funds, the City undertook a major drainage infrastructure project. The project included the replacement of existing stormwater structures. In order to perform some of the work associated with the project, the City had to acquire permanent drainage easements on many properties around Lakeshore Drive.
Stormwater Maintenance
The City defines its extent of service (EOS) for the purposes of Operation and Maintenance (O&M) to be all drainage structures and systems within the City’s public right-of-way and easements.
The Level of Service (LOS) Policy is defined as the types and frequencies of O&M activities that a community will provide to different components of the drainage system. Within the public right-of-way and for publicly-owned stormwater controls, the City will inspect and provide periodic, remedial and condition driven inspections and maintenance. However, for privately-owned control structures, the City will typically only inspect the condition and provide information and/or recommendations on proper maintenance to the private owners.
As part of the City’s newly approved Stormwater Management Plan, the City is responsible for the following inspection and maintenance activities:
- Dam to be inspected monthly and mowed monthly during the growing season. If deficiencies are noted, maintenance to be specified by Georgia Safe Dams. (In addition to the City’s monthly inspections, Georgia Safe Dams performs an annual inspection.)
- The Open Drainage System (ditches, canals, swales) determined to be the City’s responsibility will be inspected and maintained on a 6-week rotational basis from March to November. Maintenance includes removal of manmade and natural objects that could block the system, manual removal of excess emergent vegetation, mowing of bank side vegetation, litter removal, re-grading to match existing pipe inverts if necessary.
- The Closed Drainage System (pipes, catch basins, culverts, outfalls) will be inspected on a 5-year rotational basis, or 20% each year over five years. Maintenance includes cleaning catch basins and pipes, removing blockages from culverts and investigating dry weather flows from outfalls.
- Private structural controls (retention/detention ponds, wetlands and infiltration basins, etc.) will be inspected at a rate of 20% a year such that 100% of private structural controls will be inspected during the 5-year permit cycle. Maintenance of private ponds will be subject to maintenance agreements, where in existence. If no maintenance agreement exists, then the private property owner is responsible for maintenance.
- Complaint response maintenance or “remedial” maintenance is performed based on evidence of system impairment or failure identified through citizen complaints or city staff inspection. The City has a work-order system to deal with this type of maintenance.
Resources
Stormwater pollution is a major contributor to the degradation of water quality in our lakes, rivers and streams. One step towards the reduction of stormwater pollution is public education about its causes. Some resources for educational materials regarding stormwater pollution and prevention include:
The Clean Water Campaign
Gwinnett County's Stormwater Brochures
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