2012-08-28_PWETC_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

1.3 Sustainability Roseville is committed to the preservation and enhancement of its environment, and to the principle that each generation of residents must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future residents to meet their own needs. This approach to sustainability is a thread that is woven throughout the City's Comprehensive Plan. Upon adoption of this Comprehensive Surface Water Management Plan ( CSWMP) by Council, the CSWMP will become an integral component of the City's Comprehensive Plan. As in the Comprehensive Plan, this CSWMP will serve as a guide towards improving sustainability across all aspects of the City's surface water management program and activities. This CSWMP includes sustainability in three of the Plan sections including this introduction; Section 4.0 Goals and Policies; and Section 0 While the previous section provided just a few of the many project examples and accomplishments the City has made in the 20 plus years since completing its first surface water management plan, there is also more work ahead. Many of the flooding issues of that past have been addressed, but some remain. New water quality issues and concerns are emerging each year, requiring varying levels of effort by the city to address. And, the ongoing maintenance and operation of the storm water system has grown much more complex over the years due to new regulations and a better understanding of what is necessary to keep the treatment ponds and filtration systems functioning properly. This section of the plan provides an overview of some of the more significant of these ongoing issues that will require substantial efforts and resource commitments. Location specific issues such as localized flooding issues and ongoing impairments are identified in Figure 19. 1.3.1 Localized Flooding Issues While many of the known flooding areas have been addressed by infrastructure improvements over the past 20 years, some remain and are identified in the implementation section of the plan. Unfortunately, the very nature of storm water management means that at some point new issues will likely present themselves due to the plugging of a storm system from debris, for example, or simply a larger or more intense rainfall event than the City has previously experienced. The flooding in Duluth, Minnesota in June 2012 is a notable example of how a storm larger than anticipated can create problems where none existed in the past and will require extensive repair and restoration work for months to years. 1.3.2 Water Quality Impairments Earlier sections of this plan presented the current known and confirmed impairments to waters within the City. The plan also discussed a few of the emerging water quality issues that have the potential to significantly alter the quality and characteristics of water resources. Much like some localized flooding issues that won't be identified until the next big rainfall, new water quality issues may not be known for years to come. Researchers throughout the country are identifying new issues on a regular basis and regulators and policy makers are developing requirements and guidance to manage these new pollutants. The City's plan is to focus resources on the pollutants that they can best address, such as total suspended solids and total phosphorus and at the same time recognize that new issues may arise that requires adjustment to the current approach. 1.3.3 Operation and Maintenance With more than 140 public storm water treatment systems (ponds, infiltration basins, etc.), more than 120 miles of storm pipe and an extensive road system on which to complete street sweeping and deicing, the overall stormwater system operation and maintenance needs of the Comprehensive Surface Water Management Plan ROSEV120222 City of Roseville Page 3