The Town of Waterford has enacted a Stormwater Ordinance in order to establish minimum stormwater management requirements and controls to protect and safeguard the general health, safety, and welfare of the public residing in watersheds within this jurisdiction. The Town of Waterford is the permitting authority for all land disturbing activities and requires the land owner to maintain all on-site stormwater control facilities and all open space areas (e.g. parks or “green” areas) required by the approved stormwater control plan. The Town of Waterford will only provide construction permits to projects that establish a plan to manage stormwater runoff occurring during the construction process. The Town of Waterford, under the NPDES program, also has the authority to inspect properties for noncompliance and can issue a notice of violation (NOV) for any deficiency or infraction onsite. Property owners are responsible for the maintenance of any stormwater facilities or practices located on the property. The Town of Waterford has the authority to inspect stormwater facilities and practices in order to ascertain that they are properly maintained and functioning.
The Town of Waterford has been issued a General Permit for the discharge of stormwater from the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). To ensure compliance with the terms of the permit and ultimately the requirements of EPA’s Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.), the Town of Waterford has established zoning regulations for controlling the introduction of pollutants into the Town’s stormwater system. The use of best management practices (BMPs) is one of the requirements for any activity, operation, or facility that may cause or contribute pollution or contamination of stormwater, the storm drain system, or waters of the state of Connecticut.
Developments that disturb equal to or more than ½ acre are subject to additional permits and requirements which include Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans or Stormwater Management Plans (SMPs) before any development can occur. Operation, maintenance, and inspection of stormwater treatment practices is the responsibility of the property owner before, during, and after construction. The Town of Waterford has published a stormwater BMP Operations and Maintenance (O&M) guidance document. Post-construction stormwater BMP maintenance guidance can also be found in the 2004 Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual.
25.6.14.1 Operations and Maintenance Plan
An Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Plan for all stormwater management systems, including structural and non-structural controls, shall be submitted for Commission approval as part of the application documents. The O&M Plan shall be developed to ensure the system and its components function as designed and is maintained so as not to create or result in a nuisance condition, such as but not limited to flooding, erosion, pollutant discharge, excessive algal growth, over-grown vegetation, mosquito breeding, unsightly debris, or impairments to public safety and health. The property owner shall have primary responsibility for implementing the operations and maintenance plan and submitting the annual inspection report.
25.6.14.2 The Operations and Maintenance Plan shall contain at a minimum the following:
1. Stormwater management system(s) owners and contact information. 2. The party or parties responsible for operation and maintenance, including how future property owners will be notified of the presence of the stormwater management system and the requirement for proper operation and maintenance. 3. The routine and non-routine inspection and maintenance tasks for each stormwater management practice, a schedule for implementing these tasks and identification of the professional qualifications or certifications required by the entity conducting the inspection and maintenance tasks to be undertaken after construction is complete. 4. An outline of the annual maintenance inspection report. 5. A maintenance log for tracking inspections and repairs. 6. A plan that is drawn to scale and shows the location of all stormwater management facilities along with the discharge point. 7. A description and delineation of public safety features. 8. An estimated operation and maintenance budget. 9. Funding source for operation and maintenance activities and equipment. 10. Annual Maintenance Inspection Report template. 11. The Seal and Signature of a registered Connecticut Professional Engineer.
25.6.14.3 Maintenance Requirements:
1. The responsible party shall perform routine maintenance in accordance with the approved stormwater plan and permit.
2. The responsible party shall identify and perform non-routine maintenance and/or repairs based on regular inspection of the stormwater facilities as needed. Notification of repair work shall be provided to the Commission or its designated agent prior to initiating activity. All maintenance shall be performed in a timely manner to maintain functions of the stormwater facility.
3. The responsible party shall submit a signed statement to the Waterford Planning office once per year indicating that the stormwater facility has been properly maintained and is functioning as designed. The Town may require that this statement be signed by a Licensed Professional Engineer.
4. Failure to perform maintenance in accordance with the approved plan and conditions of permit shall constitute a violation of the land use approval, and may result in enforcement action.
Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment
BMP 5-4 Post-Construction Inspection and Maintenance
The program will:
Goals:
The goal is to continue to provide a sufficient level of inspection and enforcement to ensure that stormwater control measures are maintained properly.