| | | | | | | | | | Item 11.
COMMITTEE MEMORANDUM | | | |
| | | | | | | | TO: | Sustainability Resiliency Committee Meeting |
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| FROM:
| Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
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| DATE: | September 26, 2018
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| SUBJECT: | DISCUSSION ON STORMWATER BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES |
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| | | | | | | | RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENT: Margarita Wells, Environment and Sustainability Assistant Director |
| | | | | | | | LEGISLATIVE TRACKING: Item C4U - May 11, 2016 Commission Meeting |
| | | | | | | | SPONSORED: Commissioner Micky Steinberg |
| | | | | | | | BACKGROUND: At the City Commission meeting on May 11, 2016, the Mayor and City Commission referred a discussion to the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee (SRC) regarding stormwater Best Management Practices. This item was sponsored by Commissioner Steinberg. On July 15, 2016, the SRC requested regular updates on the city’s stormwater management activities. |
| | | | | | | | Analysis
The city operates a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4), meaning the stormwater is separate from the sanitary sewer system. The Miami Beach MS4 is comprised of over 90 miles of pipes that carry rainwater collected from inlets on city streets and discharges it via more than 300 outfalls into our waterways and Biscayne Bay. Stormwater systems are a tool used by cities around the world for managing the runoff from rainfall. The city’s stormwater system is designed to reduce the likelihood of flooding and keep streets dry. However, stormwater systems are also point sources of pollutants that carry contaminants picked up by rainwater.
The National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program addresses water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants to the waters of the U.S. The city is one of more than 30 co-permittees with Miami-Dade County for NPDES Permit No. FLS000003, covering a combined total of more than 8,000 outfalls throughout Miami-Dade County. The city’s outfalls constitute only 3.8% of the total outfalls that discharge into Biscayne Bay. |
| | | | | | | | UPDATE:
As part of our permit to operate our stormwater system, all permit holders are required to develop a stormwater management program that reduces potential pollution through education and outreach, good housekeeping, as well as the use of cutting edge technology and industry-vetted operational practices. The city has established a program that meets and, where feasible, exceeds the requirements of our permit. One example is the voluntary launch of our water quality sampling program in late 2016, which expands upon Miami-Dade County’s existing sampling network.
The Miami Beach water quality sampling program added more than sixty stations to cover areas of Biscayne Bay closer to our shoreline and within our waterways for which data has historically not been collected. The data from this program gives a more robust snapshot of local water quality and allows city staff to make better informed stormwater management decisions. Earlier this year we completed the first year of data collection and retained an outside water quality expert, Dr. Charles Rowney, to review the data and draw initial conclusions about the health of our waterways. The data collected in the first year will serve as a baseline or control to which we can compare the data collected in future years.
The outside expert has completed his statistical analyses and developed a report with the results, his observations and his recommendations (Attachment A). He will be presenting the report in-person at this meeting and will be leading a technical roundtable with community stakeholders immediately following at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. The report is substantially complete and has been left as a draft so Dr. Rowney can incorporate any relevant feedback obtained during the discussions with the committee and technical stakeholders.
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| | | | | | | | CONCLUSION:
The following is presented to the members of the Sustainability and Resiliency Committee as an update. | | |
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