Much has been said about Maryland’s Stormwater Management Fee, but interested parties have now gotten their first look at how the revenues from this fee will be implemented, at least in Baltimore. The city’s Department of Public Works recently released an 81-page Watershed Implementation Plan which details 95 projects that are scheduled to be implemented between 2015 and 2019 in locations throughout the city.
The projects are designed to reduce stormwater runoff, which destroys streams and other tributaries and carries sediment and chemicals such as phosphorus and nitrogen into the bay, where they contribute to the deteriorating health of this body of water. Runoff occurs in areas where stormwater is not able to sink into the ground and become groundwater, instead of collecting in large volumes on impermeable surfaces and picking up sediment and debris that it carries into the water system.
The report lists 95 projects which in total account for 1,191 impervious acres in the city. The city’s goal is to account for 4,041 acres of impervious hard surfaces. The 2,766 acres not accounted for by these 95 projects will be accounted for by “water-quality improvement programs such as street sweeping, cleaning up the harbor’s inlets, and detecting and eliminating illicit discharges to the stormwater system, and another 279 acres via partnerships for privately developed stormwater improvements,” according to City Paper. “In all, these efforts are expected to reduce the water-pollution load from the city by keeping 40,000 pounds of nitrogen, 15,000 pounds of phosphorus, and 2,400 tons of sediments from reaching the Bay between now and 2019.”
The stormwater fee raised $23,390,580 between Sept. 15, 2013. The projects, scheduled for 2015-2019, are estimated to cost $77,741,000.
Storage tanks can be utilized both for stormwater management and rainwater collection. Tanks can be used to hold stormwater and attenuate it, removing suspended solids and slowly releasing attenuated water back into the environment. Rainwater collection using storage tanks can allow facilities to collect greywater for use in a number of processes throughout the facility. To learn more about using storage tanks to collect and utilize rainwater, contact Tanks Direct today. We’ve installed a number of rainwater collection tanks throughout the area, and can help you find a solution that fits your facility’s needs.