Curbing Stormwater Pollution in the Charles River
Stormwater pollution is the largest source of pollution in the Charles River. Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) works to reduce nutrients, including phosphorus, entering the river and its tributaries, wetlands, and other waterbodies. Overabundance of nutrients has damaging effects on the Charles River ecosystem; causing low dissolved oxygen, poor habitat, toxic cyanobacteria blooms, and prolific invasive species growth, all which can impact swimming and fishing, as well as the health of aquatic terrestrial species. And, with increased precipitation and more frequent extreme weather events, these threats will only be exacerbated by climate change.
Stormwater pollution is the largest source of pollution in the Charles River. Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) works to reduce nutrients, including phosphorus, entering the river and its tributaries, wetlands, and other waterbodies. Overabundance of nutrients has damaging effects on the Charles River ecosystem; causing low dissolved oxygen, poor habitat, toxic cyanobacteria blooms, and prolific invasive species growth, all which can impact swimming and fishing, as well as the health of aquatic terrestrial species. And, with increased precipitation and more frequent extreme weather events, these threats will only be exacerbated by climate change.
Phosphorus Control Plan Development & Implementation
CRWA, with support from the Charles River Municipal Stormwater Collaborative (CRMSWC), was awarded a FY22 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Municipal Assistance Grant by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to work collaboratively with the Charles River and Lake and Pond communities to provide hands-on, interactive, and specific training and resources for the key steps in developing and implementing their PCPs in alignment with the PCP template and the MS4 General Permit.
CRWA, with support from the Charles River Municipal Stormwater Collaborative (CRMSWC), was awarded a FY22 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Municipal Assistance Grant by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to work collaboratively with the Charles River and Lake and Pond communities to provide hands-on, interactive, and specific training and resources for the key steps in developing and implementing their PCPs in alignment with the PCP template and the MS4 General Permit.
Join the Phosphorus Control Workshop Series
We are hosting three upcoming virtual training workshops and a question & answer session to support watershed communities in implementing Phosphorus Control Plans (PCPs) to curb stormwater pollution.
There are many benefits to joining the workshop series:
Submit a Question!
CRWA is here to help. Ask questions about any component of the Phosphorus Control Plan (PCP) including development, requirements, calculations, deadlines, etc. through our online survey. Responses will be provided in the virtual Question & Answer workshop on Tuesday May 24, 2022.
We are hosting three upcoming virtual training workshops and a question & answer session to support watershed communities in implementing Phosphorus Control Plans (PCPs) to curb stormwater pollution.
There are many benefits to joining the workshop series:
- Better understand details of the MS4 General Permit phosphorus reduction requirements
- Learn from other communities and watershed organizations
- Get your specific questions answered
- Progress with preparing your community’s PCP and implementation strategies
- Obtain additional talking points to convey importance and costs of this work to elected and appointed officials, decision makers, and the public
Submit a Question!
CRWA is here to help. Ask questions about any component of the Phosphorus Control Plan (PCP) including development, requirements, calculations, deadlines, etc. through our online survey. Responses will be provided in the virtual Question & Answer workshop on Tuesday May 24, 2022.
Explore the Phosphorus Control Plan Workshop Series
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WORKSHOP #1: ALL ABOUT THE LOADS: BASELINE LOADS, IMPACT FROM EPA’S RDA
This guided workshop will help Permittees understand how to calculate (Lake and Pond communities), or recalculate (Charles River Watershed communities), their baseline loads, help them identify situations where they may want to recalculate their baseline loads, and discuss the process of updating baseline phosphorus calculations to present day conditions.
While the baseline loads are already determined for the Charles River Watershed communities, all the Lake and Pond communities must calculate their baseline loads themselves. Through this workshop, the Team will share resources with Permittees, including the Methods used in Neponset River Watershed Association Nutrient Source Identification Report to calculate phosphorus loading. Additionally, through discussions with communities and project experience, the Team recognizes the importance of submitting updated baseline loads to EPA for many of these communities, and the complex considerations in doing so. Therefore, the frameworks introduced in this workshop will be critical across Permit requirements and provide communities with a more nuanced understanding of these components. In addition to the baseline discussion, the potential impact of the Residual Designation Authority (RDA) on required reductions for Charles River watershed communities will be discussed along with a methodology for incorporating them into a community’s planning efforts. |
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WORKSHOP #2 - MANAGING WITH NON-STRUCTURAL CONTROLS AND PRIVATE BMPS: HOW TO GET CREDITS
Structural BMPs installed and maintained on private property have the potential to be a major contributor to many Permittees’ phosphorus reduction requirements. Most communities will struggle to achieve their required reductions on municipal land alone. Private BMPs are typically installed and maintained at little to no cost to the municipality and therefore with proper procedures and data collection processes in place, have the potential to be low cost credits for a municipality.
For this to be a reliable and compliant component of a Permittee’s phosphorus control plan, Permittees must collect the data needed to calculate the phosphorus reduction credits and document the maintenance of the BMPs to demonstrate that they are being properly operated. Upfront planning in developing a smooth process that can be implemented across various municipal departments and committees will likely save staff time down the line in PCP tracking and reporting. The Team will also solicit and share specific real-world examples from multiple Permittees on data tracking on private developments. The credits for non-structural BMP will also be discussed. |
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WORKSHOP #3 - PUBLIC BMPS: MAXIMIZING THE COST BENEFIT EQUATION
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 10, 2022 1:00 - 3:00 PM One of the biggest decision factors for selecting, prioritizing, and implementing structural and non-structural BMPs on public property is understanding associated costs and benefits. It is critical to understand the total cost burden associated with the phosphorus load reduction to adequately make investment and planning decisions. The final workshop will be held following development of a cost benefit resource kit.
The Team will present the cost benefit resource kit and will summarize the design, permitting, construction, and O&M costs per pound of phosphorus removed for structural BMPs and capital, staffing, and O&M costs per pound of phosphorus removed for non-structural BMPs. After presenting the data review, the second half of the workshop will consist of a panel discussion and open forum for the Permittees to discuss the cost/benefits and lessons learned from implementing structural BMPs in public properties and right-of-ways. This open forum will provide an opportunity for knowledge sharing and collaboration between many communities, all while reviewing the same background information to provide a meaningful discussion. |
QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION WITH EPA AND TECHNICAL EXPERTS
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Date/Time: Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:00 - 3:00 PM
CRWA will facilitate a Question & Answer session with EPA, MassDEP, and other technical experts to answer the Permittees’ phosphorus control planning questions, gathered through the survey, prior workshops, and in real time. This venue will provide permittees an opportunity to discuss the development and implementation of PCPs with one another, for peer-to-peer exchange of information, as well as with representatives from the Regulatory community, for guidance on regulatory compliance.
The Q&A session will be virtual.
The full presentation and recording will be available following the workshop.
The Q&A session will be virtual.
The full presentation and recording will be available following the workshop.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: PHOSPHORUS CONTROL PLAN TEMPLATES
Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) partnered with Kleinfelder, under an FY21 Municipal Assistance Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), to support permittees regulated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) municipal separate storm sewer system permit (MS4 Permit) in addressing phosphorus reduction requirements in the Charles River watershed and various lakes and ponds throughout Massachusetts. The following the templates were developed:
Charles River Watershed PCP Template
Charles River Watershed PCP Template Reference Appendices (companion documents for template)
Lakes and Ponds PCP Template
Lakes and Ponds PCP Template Reference Appendices (companion documents for template)
Opportunities for Regional Collaboration
Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) partnered with Kleinfelder, under an FY21 Municipal Assistance Grant from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), to support permittees regulated under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) municipal separate storm sewer system permit (MS4 Permit) in addressing phosphorus reduction requirements in the Charles River watershed and various lakes and ponds throughout Massachusetts. The following the templates were developed:
Charles River Watershed PCP Template
Charles River Watershed PCP Template Reference Appendices (companion documents for template)
- R.1 PCP Approach Guidance (PDF)
- R.1 PCP Approach Guidance (Word)
- R.2 Worksheets for Calculation Support (PDF)
- R.2 Worksheets for Calculation Support (Word)
- R.3 Funding Source Assessment: Overview and Guidance (PDF)
- R.4 Resource Library (PDF)
- R.5 Guidance Memorandum on Location Screening and Prioritization for Structural Controls (PDF)
- R.6 Simple Planning and Accounting Spreadsheet (Excel)
Lakes and Ponds PCP Template
- L&PPCP Template (Complete, PDF)
- L&PPCP Template (Word)
Lakes and Ponds PCP Template Reference Appendices (companion documents for template)
- R.1 PCP Approach Guidance (PDF)
- R.1 PCP Approach Guidance (Word)
- R.2 Worksheets for Calculation Support (PDF)
- R.2 Worksheets for Calculation Support (Word)
- R.3 Funding Source Assessment: Overview and Guidance (PDF)
- R.4 Resource Library (PDF)
- R.5 Simple Planning and Accounting Spreadsheet (Excel)
Opportunities for Regional Collaboration