Stormwater Management
Tennessee Tech's fundamental interest in maintaining an environmentally conscious campus, the university must also comply with several regulations administered by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These programs were developed to ensure that construction activities and storm sewer system operation in environmentally sensitive areas are conducted in a manner that will protect and improve water quality.
It is the responsibility of the Environmental Health and Safety office to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations and “keep trash and other pollutants in its proper place, not in our waterways”. "Only rain down the drain."
By definition, a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) is a conveyance or system of conveyances otherwise known as a municipal separate storm sewer system, including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, or storm drains:
-
- Owned or operated by a federal, state, city, town, county, district, association, or other public body, created by or pursuant to state law, having jurisdiction or delegated authority for erosion and sediment control and stormwater management, or a designated and approved management agency under section 208 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) that discharges to surface waters;
- Designed or used for collecting or conveying stormwater;
- That is not a combined sewer; and
- That is not part of a publicly owned treatment works.
Operators of large, medium, and regulated small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems are required to obtain permit coverage in order to discharge pollutants to state waters. The large, medium and small designations are based on urbanized areas as determined by census data. Tennessee Tech has been designated as a small MS4 and has obtained general permit coverage which requires the development of a program plan to cover the following minimum control measures:
-
- Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts.
- Tennessee Tech Public Information and Education Plan
- Public involvement/participation.
- Illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE).
- Tennessee Tech Stormwater Policy 402 (Illicit Discharge Determination and Elimination Policy)
- Tennessee Tech Stormwater Management Committee Procedures
- Construction site stormwater runoff control.
- Tennessee Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook
- TBR Designer's Manual
- Post-construction stormwater management in new development and development on prior
developed lands.
- Tennessee Permanent Stormwater Management and Design Guidance Manual
- Construction Requirements and Permanent Stormwater Management Standard Operating Procedure
- Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations.
- Tennessee Tech Standard Operating Procedure for Grounds/Athletics
- Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts.
The MS4 permit requires the University to develop and implement a Storm water Management Plan (SWMP) that will reduce the discharge of pollutants to the "maximum extent practicable" and not cause or contribute to violations of state water quality standards. The SWMP is a set of related measures, projects, plans, activities, and documentation that is managed in a coordinated manner under a structure that allows for the delivery of outcomes/goals. You can access the most recent version of this document below:
Tennessee Tech's Stormwater Management Plan
If you have any questions about Tennessee Tech's stormwater program please contact Matt Staton at mstaton@tntech.edu or 931-372-3966.
