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HomeMy Public PortalAboutBMP O&M_FINAL_2022.06.22Maintenance Costs Maintenance costs vary depending on drainage area, storage volume, and type of stormwater BMP technology in place. O&M costs are estimated to be 10% of total construction costs for BMPs costing $10,000 and 5% of those costing $100,000. While exact cost of maintenance is site specific and diffi- cult to estimate, it is important that BMP owners allot funds for maintenance. Do's and Don'ts of Private Stormwater BMP Ownership Do expect BMPs to collect sediment, trash, and other pollutants that need to be properly disposed of. Do expect BMPs to temporarily hold water as de- signed. Do expect the vegetation in your BMPs will require routine maintenance. Do not alter the drainage area and overland flow path carrying stormwater to your BMP. Do not ignore eroding areas in your BMPs. If not addressed, these issues will limit the effec- tiveness of your BMP to hold and treat stormwater. Post-Construction Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) Ownership and Maintenance The ABC's of Private Post-Construction Stormwater BMP Ownership Always receive a copy of the SWMFR, which outlines BMP operation and maintenance activities, at the time of purchase of the property. Budget for maintenance, routine and non-routine, as outlined in your maintenance schedule. Costs vary per BMP technology installed. Check-up on your stormwater BMP. Regular inspections and routine maintenance will minimize the need for major repairs. MSD Project Clear Division of Environmental Compliance 10 East Grand Avenue St. Louis, MO 63147-2913 Phone: 314.436.8710 MSDProjectClear.org Find us @MSDProjectClear For more information on BMP ownership and maintenance, visit our Maintenance Responsibilities webpage by scanning the QR code below. Photos by Megan Ross Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Project Clear MSDProjectClear.org MSD Customer Service: 314.768.6260 What is a BMP? Post-construction Stormwater Best Management Prac- tices (BMPs) are private stormwater facilities used to prevent or reduce the pollutants in stormwater runoff. The St. Louis County Phase II Stormwater Manage- ment Plan (SWMP) addresses potential sources of pollutants in stormwater as required by federal and state regulations. Accordingly, these stormwater man- agement facilities are required in all new development and redevelopment projects designed after 2006. De- tention basins have been required since the late 1980's. Post-construction BMPs and detention basins are installed to retain and/or treat a specified volume of stormwater at the site. Post-construction storm- water BMPs are required to be maintained by the owner of the property or trustee association for those installed on common ground. Types of BMPs The two basic categories of post-construction storm- water BMPs are structural and non-structural. Structural Stormwater BMPs such as rain gardens and filtration systems are physical devices designed to capture and/or treat stormwater at its source. Many structural stormwater BMPs mimic natural systems, and rely upon vegetation and soil mechanisms in or- der to perform as intended. These are considered "green" infrastructure systems. All BMPs must be maintained so they will always perform as they were designed to, to reduce runoff volume and remove pollutants from stormwater. Non-structural Stormwater BMPs focus on preserv- ing open space, protecting natural systems, and incor- porating existing landscape features, such as wetlands and stream corridors, into a site plan to manage rain- water at its source. These areas must be maintained as designed in perpetuity.  Bioretention (i.e. Rain Gardens)  Permeable Pavement  Hydrodynamic Separators  Sand and Organic Filter Systems  Infiltration Trenches  Wet and Dry Grass Swales  Wetlands/Wet Ponds  Rain Harvesting Cisterns  Green Roofs Examples of Structural BMPs:  Amended Soils  Natural Area Conservation  Buffer Zones  Low Impact Development (LID)  Open Channel Use  Rooftop Disconnections  Non-Rooftop Disconnections Examples of Non-structural BMPs: Private BMP Owner Responsibilities Maintenance Generally, BMP maintenance falls into two categories: routine maintenance and non-routine (repair) mainte- nance. A Stormwater Management Facilities Re- port (SWMFR) was written for each BMP by the de- sign engineer. It is the owner's handbook to BMP ownership. It outlines all routine maintenance and inspection activities that are required. A Maintenance Agreement with MSD Project Clear is signed by the property owner prior to site design ap- proval. This document is a formal agreement from the property owner to maintain the BMP in perpetuity. Failure to maintain BMPs is a violation of MSD Ordi- nance No. 15048. The BMP owner is responsible for coordinating proper restoration of BMPs if needed. For example, if utility work is needed within the BMP reserve area, the BMP owner must ensure the BMP is properly restored by the entity performing work in the area. Regular routine maintenance, and from time to time non-routine maintenance, will increase the longevity of a BMP and ensure it continues working as designed. Inspections Inspection frequency varies according to BMP type and site conditions. Routine inspections should be completed as outlined in the SWMFR. Inspections along with any corrective actions taken should be documented. The effectiveness of post - construction stormwater BMPs depends upon regular inspections. MSD inspectors may also periodically inspect the BMP. Inspection checklists can be found on MSD’s website (see QR code on back). Annual Reports BMP owners are required to submit an Annual BMP Maintenance Report to MSD by March 31st of the following year. The Annual Report must provide documentation that maintenance was performed in accordance with the SWMFR. Annual reports should be submitted online, and a link to the form is available at our Maintenance Responsibilities webpage (see QR code on back). The online form will ask the owner to submit information about the condition of each BMP for the project, records of any maintenance that was performed, and at least one photo for each BMP on site.