Central Coast Post-Construction Requirements for Phase II Municipalities

This workshop will focus on the post-construction requirements (PCRs) established by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (Region 3). The PCRs established a tiered compliance program, based on impervious area, for 1) site design, 2) storm water runoff treatment, 3) retention, and 4) peak runoff controls. The retention requirements alone are a unique aspect of the PCRs. They establish a numeric performance standard for onsite retention of storm water runoff for storms up to the 85th percentile, or 95th percentile event, depending on the project location. This workshop will explain how the retention requirements were developed based upon watershed processes and how municipalities are currently implementing the PCRs. Current technical recommendations and key technical hurdles on storm water controls will be discussed and solutions offered, including design, construction, and long-term O&M tracking and reporting.

Moderators:

Dominic Roques, Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board

Darla Inglis, Central Coast Low Impact Development Initiative

Cathleen Garnand, County of Santa Barbara

8:30 - 9:00 AM

Introduction

Moderator and speaker: Dominic Roques, Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board

1. Introduction and Overview of the Training Workshop
2. Background and Summary of the PCRs

a. The “Joint Effort”
b. Region 3 goals for maintaining and restoring watersheds
c. Development of Watershed Processes and Watershed Management Zones
d. Requirements for retention and Low Impact Development measures

3. Designing for Watershed Processes

a. How site design strategies address key components of watershed processes, and how to distinguish those strategies from conventional planning, architectural, and engineering design
b. What are the municipal requirements for approving development projects to address the “decentralized approach to stormwater management”
c. What are we learning 18 months into implementation?

9:00 - 10:55 AM  (Break 10:00 – 10:15 AM)

Practical Design Approach

Moderator: Darla Inglis, Central Coast Low Impact Development Initiative

1. Designing for Watershed Processes Can Be Simple: Examples of How Not to Over-Engineer: Brett Hadley and Bianca Koenig, Wallace Group Engineering and Design

2. Current Thinking and Technical Recommendations on Retention Facilities: Jennifer Buchanan, Watearth

Including:

a. Bioretention design and plant selection resources
b. Dual-use facilities (retention and peak runoff)
c. Permeable paving
d. Underground storage

3. Technical Guidance for Designing Post-Construction BMPs Using the Santa Barbara County Stormwater Technical Guide for Low Impact Development: Cathleen Garnand, County of Santa Barbara

4. Overcoming Technical Challenges: site constraints, high groundwater, impermeable soils, contaminated soils, infill and high density redevelopment, geotechnical hazards, and incompatibility with surrounding drainage: Dan Cloak, Dan Cloak Environmental Consulting

5. Alternative Compliance in the PCRs

Speakers:

David LaCaro, City of Paso Robles

Ellen Pritchett, City of Santa Maria

Agnes Topp, City of Santa Cruz

Dominic Roques, Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board

Darla Inglis, Central Coast Low Impact Development Initiative

a. Watershed Plans (e.g., Paso Robles, Santa Maria)

b. Urban Sustainability Areas (e.g., Cities of Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo)

c. Other approaches

10:55 - 11:45 AM

Verifying Success

Moderator: Cathleen Garnand, County of Santa Barbara

1. Construction Activities and Critical Moments in Construction Process: Neal Shapiro, City of Santa Monica

a. Construction experience and common problems

b. Field verifications

2. How do municipalities assure long-term O&M? Local approaches on maintenance agreements, follow-up, enforcement, inspections, and tracking. Forum panel:

David LaCaro, City of Paso Robles

Ellen Pritchett, City of Santa Maria

Alyson Tom, County of Santa Cruz

Thomas Harty, County of Monterey

Cathleen Garnand, County of Santa Barbara

3. Open Discussion