Rhode Island Stormwater Design and Installation Standards Manual

1. Rhode Island Stormwater Design and Installation Standards Manual Public Workshop Typical Maintenance Costs January 19, 2011 Several Slides Courtesy of Center for Watershed Protection

2. Major: Rehabilitation or reconstruction Non-routine: Cleanout trash and sediment, structural repairs, partial rehabilitation Routine: Visual assessment, mowing, litter & debris removal, vegetation management Stormwater BMP O& M Pyramid Source: Erickson, et. al, 2010

3. Audience Poll • Who has primary responsibility for maintenance in your community? • Haven’t figured it out yet • Private landowners or homeowners associations • Local government or other public agency • Hybrid of public and private sector

5. Factors that impact maintenance costs • Inspection frequency; • Required routine maintenance (# of maintenance actions – function of type of practice); • Required specialized equipment; • Number of staff hours required for routine items; • Required non-routine

6. The Life Cycle Approach to Stormwater Maintenance Plan Review • The most successful programs recognize that effective stormwater BMP maintenance involves more than just maintenance

7. Maintenance Program Scoping Questions • What are the local watershed protection and restoration objectives? • How many stormwater BMPs are currently in place? • How many more stormwater BMPs are expected? • Where will they be located? • Who will maintain them? • What will be the level of service provided by the community? • How can the program be funded?

8. Program Level of Service • Complaint-driven /political program • Regular inspection and maintenance schedule • Inspection reports and record keeping • Public vs. private maintenance • Program funding

9. Maintenance Program Models • Communities have several different options to consider when vesting maintenance responsibilities • Option 1: Private maintenance • Option 2: Public maintenance • Option 3: Hybrid

10. Maintenance Program Options • Option 1: Private Maintenance Community responsible for public stormwater controls, homeowners or businesses have responsibility for private controls • Reduces costs • Good option for small communities with limited staff • Community still responsible for education, tracking and enforcement

11. Key Considerations for Option 1 • Who should conduct routine inspections? • How to ensure that maintenance continues when properties change hands? • When should enforcement be used?

12. Maintenance Program Options • Option 2: Public Maintenance Community has full responsibility for maintenance of both public and private stormwater controls • Uncommon due to costs • Better control • Requires dedicated staff and funding • Avoids legal roadblocks and questions

13. Budgeting for a Local Maintenance Program • Staff • Equipment • Administration • Tracking/GIS • Contractual Services • Other

14. Maintenance LOS

15. Maintenance Manual Reference

16. Maintenance ChecklistsAppendix E

17. AnnualO&M costs a function of capital cost Bioretention: $O&M% = 90.1($CC)-0.29 Wet Basins: $O&M% = 230.9($CC)-0.36 Open Channels: $O&M% = 2526($CC)-0.53 For Example: Bioretention costing 50K O&M cost ~ 4% of CC Open Channel practice costing 50k O&M cost ~ 8% of CC CC = Cap Cost Source: Kang, Weiss: Univ of MN

18. Annual cost of sediment removal (2005) Source: Erickson, et. al, 2010

19. More cost data (2005)

20. More cost information • Typical construction inspection costs for LID systems: 2-4% of Capital Construction Cost (HW personal experience) Source: Christina Basin Trib Team, DE, 2005

21. More cost data (2003)

22. More cost data (2003)

23. More data (2004+/-)(http://www.stormwatercenter.net/)

24. More Data

25. ExampleAnnual predicted maintenance costs • Raingarden: $650 • Infiltration chambers: $300/ system • Site/landscaping: $2,000

26. Reduce Maintenance “Liability” During BMP Selection & Design • Include low-maintenance, non-structural BMPs • Thorough plan review ensures design standards are properly implemented • Review the plan as if you were the maintenance crews…or have maintenance staff actually review the plans • Get standards off the books and onto site plans!

27. Plan Review Checklist • Pretreatment • Maintenance Access • Landscaping Plan • Review site plans with maintenance in mind • Require detailed maintenance plan • Inspection schedule • Maintenance frequency • Responsible party • Require pretreatment • Strive to make sediment removal operations quick and easy • Design practices with gentle side slopes • Include native vegetative “no mow” buffers around stormwater practices • Require long-term vegetation management plan

28. Conduct Inspections During AND After Construction • Use inspections to check progress and quality of installation, not just for erosion and sediment control • Annual maintenance inspections • Use detailed inspection checklists • 1 FTE: 250 to 500 BMPs/year • Third party inspections?

29. Routine and Thorough Inspections After Construction • Annual inspections • Detailed inspection checklists • Measurements where available • Mark problem areas (e.g. spray paint) • Issue work orders to correct problems • Third party inspections?

30. Synchronize Field Data and Office Data

31. Educate and Involve the Maintainers • BMP “owner’s manuals” and other educational materials • “Adopt-a-Pond” programs • Volunteer cleanup events

32. Questions?