What does it Mean for Developers and Engineers?Blue Book Stormwater Manual Update Lunch with ARC's Chris Faulkner and Georgia Ready Mix Concrete's Les White: RSVP: Limited to 50!
Name:
What does it Mean for Developers and Engineers?Blue Book Stormwater Manual Update Lunch with ARC's Chris Faulkner and Georgia Ready Mix Concrete's Les White: RSVP: Limited to 50!
Date:
June 3, 2016
Time:
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM EDT
Website:
http://councilforqualitygrowth.org
Registration:
Register Now
Event Description:
What does it Mean for Developers and Engineers?Blue Book Storm water Manual Update Lunch with ARC's Chris Faulkner and Georgia Ready Mix Concrete's Les White: RSVP: Limited to 50!
As you may recall, the Council served on the Stormwater "Blue Book" Committee, with Foresite Engineering's Alan Neal, as the Council appointee to the re-write committee. We have been approached to host a lunch that would outline the new consolidated manual below and what it means to the development community, Why? If you develop subdivisions in counties like Forsyth and Cherokee, etc, detention ponds would not meet the runoff limits criteria if it were passed. You would be required to use alternatives that allow for infiltration. What will that be and what will that look like?
If this interests you and you would like to attend a lunch at the Council offices, with a presentation from the ARC's Chris Faulkner, who led and coordinated the re-write efforts, please respond back to indicate your interest and I will follow-up with potential dates for the CQG to host this important and informative session. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.
The 2016 edition of the Stormwater Management Manual was released in January of this year. This manual consolidates the prior Volume I, II, and coastal supplement into a single Manual. While local governments can choose to regulate to the new manual, its date won’t be truly effective until January 2, 2017. After that date, the manual will become fully effective, and most metropolitan areas in GA will have to adhere to the new standards.
There are three key changes to the manual, in addition to several new alternatives for stormwater treatment. One is that some requirements are now recommendations. Requirements will be set in local government ordinances, and many of these in metro Atlanta will be required by GA EPD. This allows performance standards to better meet a regional need rather than a one size fits all for everywhere in the state. The other major change is the addition of a performance standard for runoff limits. This standard essentially requires the capture of 1 inch onsite without runoff (and reused or infiltrated in some form). Third, a number of site credits, including runoff reduction from impervious disconnection and credit for stream buffers that have been removed.
So how does this affect the development community? It could have both positive and negative effects on development and long term owner costs and risks, dependent upon the implementation. The new runoff limits standards will be similar to that of the effective ordinance in the City of Atlanta, and for most urbanized areas, it will offer some flexibility in addressing water quality requirements. In suburban and other less urbanized areas, however, runoff limits may pose newer challenges, since stormwater ponds are the de facto measure for addressing stormwater quality, which would not be sufficient to meet the runoff limits standards. It will also be dependent on whether the state EPD mandates runoff limits protection for all MS4’s, which encompass most of the metropolitan Atlanta local governments. When that process begins, the first Local governments that update their minimum requirements with the state will likely set the precedent for all of metropolitan Atlanta. It will be key to keep up to date as local governments implement the standards.
- Topics Covered include:
- Major Changes to the Blue Book
- New / Revised Content
- Adoption of the New Blue Book
- General advancements in industry knowledge since 2001
- Inclusion of industry documentation (ACI 522 and 522.1) and guidance
- Increased acceptance for water quality function (TSS removal)
- Design guidelines available in the manual
As you may recall, the Council served on the Stormwater "Blue Book" Committee, with Foresite Engineering's Alan Neal, as the Council appointee to the re-write committee. We have been approached to host a lunch that would outline the new consolidated manual below and what it means to the development community, Why? If you develop subdivisions in counties like Forsyth and Cherokee, etc, detention ponds would not meet the runoff limits criteria if it were passed. You would be required to use alternatives that allow for infiltration. What will that be and what will that look like?
If this interests you and you would like to attend a lunch at the Council offices, with a presentation from the ARC's Chris Faulkner, who led and coordinated the re-write efforts, please respond back to indicate your interest and I will follow-up with potential dates for the CQG to host this important and informative session. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.
The 2016 edition of the Stormwater Management Manual was released in January of this year. This manual consolidates the prior Volume I, II, and coastal supplement into a single Manual. While local governments can choose to regulate to the new manual, its date won’t be truly effective until January 2, 2017. After that date, the manual will become fully effective, and most metropolitan areas in GA will have to adhere to the new standards.
There are three key changes to the manual, in addition to several new alternatives for stormwater treatment. One is that some requirements are now recommendations. Requirements will be set in local government ordinances, and many of these in metro Atlanta will be required by GA EPD. This allows performance standards to better meet a regional need rather than a one size fits all for everywhere in the state. The other major change is the addition of a performance standard for runoff limits. This standard essentially requires the capture of 1 inch onsite without runoff (and reused or infiltrated in some form). Third, a number of site credits, including runoff reduction from impervious disconnection and credit for stream buffers that have been removed.
So how does this affect the development community? It could have both positive and negative effects on development and long term owner costs and risks, dependent upon the implementation. The new runoff limits standards will be similar to that of the effective ordinance in the City of Atlanta, and for most urbanized areas, it will offer some flexibility in addressing water quality requirements. In suburban and other less urbanized areas, however, runoff limits may pose newer challenges, since stormwater ponds are the de facto measure for addressing stormwater quality, which would not be sufficient to meet the runoff limits standards. It will also be dependent on whether the state EPD mandates runoff limits protection for all MS4’s, which encompass most of the metropolitan Atlanta local governments. When that process begins, the first Local governments that update their minimum requirements with the state will likely set the precedent for all of metropolitan Atlanta. It will be key to keep up to date as local governments implement the standards.
