This proposal by the Stormwater Partners Coalition* will help protect and restore our drinking water sources, the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers, local streams, and the Chesapeake Bay. As prescribed by the Federal Clean Water Act, we urge the State to adopt and the County (Montgomery) to support these guidelines.

Attainment of Water Quality Standards and Goals
1) Require enforceable pollution reduction measures through numeric pollution caps, in order to meet standards for bacteria and other pollutants, for the Anacostia and other waters.
2) Protect high-quality and good-quality streams, and our drinking water sources including groundwater recharge areas, through zoning and planning changes reflecting the best science and technology for Environmentally Sound/ Low Impact Development (ESD/LID).
3) Restore degraded streams through measurable, enforceable goals. Apply stormwater ESD/LID measures cost-effectively on a whole-watershed and –subwatershed basis, to make progress in attaining water quality standards and protecting our drinking water sources from stormwater pollution.

Pollution Prevention at the Source
4) Apply off-the-shelf source reduction stormwater measures countywide, including pet waste education and enforcement, street sweeping, and ESD/LID techniques like rain barrels and rain gardens.
5) Identify and remediate stormwater “hotspots.”
6) Require actions to protect and restore forested stream buffers, and their associated wetlands, through measurable reforestation goals.
7) Establish numeric limits (maximum flow targets) for stream flows to address volume and velocity from already-developed and newly-developing areas, and enable measurable and enforceable regulation.

Accountability and Coordination, Public Involvement, and Program Support
8) Increase the level and frequency of public involvement and notification in the County’s stormwater permit program development decisions, and in project implementation.
9) Require enforceable duties of each of four County agencies who have stormwater responsibilities (DEP; DPS; DPWT; and Park and Planning) to reduce fragmentation and increase accountability and transparency.
10) Shift stormwater monitoring to more-closely track the County’s watershed protection and restoration goals and stormwater measures, and to cooperate with volunteer groups.
11) Increase program funding while sending a “price incentive” for more-protective stormwater measures through an amendment to the County’s Water Quality Protection Charge.

For more information on the 11-Step Proposal, contact Stormwater Partners Coalition Coordinator Diane Cameron by email or by phone 301- 933-1210.

For more information on stormwater, visit EPA’s Office of Water.

* Anacostia Watershed Citizens Advisory Committee, Anacostia Watershed Society, Audubon Naturalist Society, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Clean Water Action, Eyes of Paint Branch, Friends of Sligo Creek, Friends of the Earth, Greater Goshen Civic Association, Montgomery County Civic Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council, Neighbors of Northwest Branch, Potomac Conservancy, Sierra Club Montgomery County Group, and the West Montgomery County Citizens Association.