2019 Annual Conference Agenda

Wednesday, October 9, 2019 / Pre-Conference

1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
(Pre-Conference Tour)

Separate Registration Required

Tour of Local Stormwater Projects
Join us for a tour of innovative stormwater projects in the Chattanooga area. There are a limited number of seats available and we anticipate the tour filling up quickly. Transportation will leave the hotel lobby promptly at 12:30 p.m. and will return no later than 3:30 p.m. Please dress casually and wear comfortable shoes.

1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
(Pre-Conference Workshop)
2.5 credits

Separate Registration Required

Stormwater Infrastructure Asset Management
Communities throughout the Southeast face a need to efficiently manage their stormwater infrastructure to comply with NPDES regulations, respond to demands for improved water quality and flooding concerns, and ensure the long-term functionality of stormwater drainage system assets.  A well-planned asset management program allows stormwater staff to manage maintenance schedules, inventory and track stormwater assets and costs, and quickly produce useful reports for managers and policy-makers concerning repair and replacement planning, flood control, and pollution prevention programs.  This session will provide an overview of asset management for stormwater systems, including a discussion of program development and tools needed, and the overall benefits and uses of asset management programs.

Hal Clarkson, PE, CFM, Project Director
Woolpert

Brad Cole, Asset Management Program Manager
City of Raleigh, NC

Paul Dow, Assistant City Engineer
City of Greenville, SC 

Poonam Kalkat, PhD, Director of Public Utilities
City of West Palm Beach, FL

Ed Singer, General Manager – North America
Assetic

Thursday, October 10, 2019 / Regular Conference

8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
(General Session)
1.25 credits

Welcome & Opening Address

Laurie Hawks, President
Southeast Stormwater Association 

Jeaneanne Gettle, Director Water Division
US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4

New Initiatives in Stormwater Management – A Southeast Perspective
This session will give you a better understanding of how new permitting programs and proposed regulations can impact your jurisdiction, and how local governments in other states are responding.  A panel will discuss the new regulations and their potential impacts, and strategies for implementation in their jurisdiction and state.  Audience questions will be encouraged.

Jeaneanne Gettle, Director Water Division
US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4

W. Dave Canaan, Director, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services,
Mecklenburg County, NC

Katie Beth Jennings, CPESC, CFM, Environmental Services Manager
Columbia County, GA

Dave Mason, PE, DWRE, PMP, Principal Water Resources Manager
CDM Smith, TN

Synithia Williams, Stormwater Division Manager
Richland County, SC

10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.

Designing Water Quality and Park Improvements in an Urban Setting
As the oldest park in Chattanooga, Tennessee and situated in a vibrant urban neighborhood, the East Lake Park Water Quality Improvement Project afforded the City the opportunity to integrate water quality improvement practices with park enhancement projects with the goal of revitalizing a former jewel of the neighborhood. This presentation will reveal lessons learned when establishing an urban project while balancing water quality goals, permitting requirements and public demands.

Dave Mason, PE, DWRE, PMP, Principal Water Resources Manager
CDM Smith

Mounir Minkara, PhD, PE, CPSWQ, Water Quality Manager
City of Chattanooga, TN

10:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
(Track B)
0.75 credits

Going Green at Collins Hill Library is a Win for the Community
Retrofitting the existing Collins Hill Library with Green Infrastructure and stormwater BMPs not only provided improved water quality for the basin, but also provided educational opportunities at the library with numerous improved site conditions. As a bonus for the County, the project provided a testing ground for different BMP applications, maintenance and potential monitoring opportunities.  The presentation will review the stakeholder process for this project, the selection of appropriate BMPs, and challenges encountered along the way.

David Braswell, PE, Stormwater Program Manager
W.K. Dickson

Rachel Jones, PE, CFM, Engineer V
Gwinnett County, GA

Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance Solution for Channel Stability and Nutrient Removal
The City of Greensboro, North Carolina has worked to repair an eroding channel while providing nutrient removal and an oil/sediment interceptor within an industrial watershed. A regenerative stormwater conveyance (RSC) was designed to stabilize the small tributary, while also capturing and treating the first flush of the watershed.  This presentation will provide an understanding of this emerging technique.  RSCs provide the Southeast with a unique tool for addressing eroding and down-cutting channels evident in our urbanizing watersheds.

Damian Gaiski-Weitz, PE, Water Resources Engineer
HDR

11:35 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
(Track B)
0.75 credits

Atlanta's Environmental Impact Bond for Green Infrastructure
Environmental Impact Bonds (EIBs) are a new financing option available to attract environmentally conscious investors.  Atlanta's EIB is financing Green Infrastructure stormwater projects within the Proctor Creek Watershed to protect against flooding and improve water quality, as well as providing other co-benefits.  This presentation will provide an overview of Atlanta’s EIB discussing the selection of stormwater volume as a proxy for environmental performance across all projects, tiered financing models, the development of a probability model for prediction of project success, lessons learned, and opportunities for future refinement.

Glen Behrend, Project Manager
City of Atlanta, GA

Networking Luncheon

Hominy Swamp Restoration: A Case Study in Category 4b Implementation
Hominy Swamp Creek is the primary water body for the City of Wilson, North Carolina.  Its historical swamp characteristics have long been forgotten as the swamp has been straightened and cleared, and its slow rolling flow has been replaced by the periodic pulse of rainfall flushes and stagnant, dry days.  The City is embracing a restoration strategy for Hominy Swamp, based on the Category 4b Demonstration approach.  The City recently submitted its approved restoration plan to EPA Region 4 and is laying the groundwork for the first year of implementation.

Patrick Blandford, PE, Project Manager
HDR

Noah Parsons, PE, Stormwater Compliance Specialist
City of Wilson, NC

Stormwater Funding Review for a Unified Government
When stormwater fees and funding strategies are set up, there is often a good deal of opportunity for public input. Elected officials and the public become informed in the process, but over time people may forget the original basis for the fee. This presentation will share the benefits of re-examining funding strategies in a unified government.

Todd Stevenson, Stormwater Division Administrator
Athens-Clarke County, GA

Litter Quitters: Anti-Litter/Stormwater Protection Video Competition
Litter Quitters is an example of an effective public education campaign. It engages driving-age students in an anti-litter/stormwater protection video competition. The competition empowers them to be change agents by encouraging anti-littering behavior among classmates, family members, and the community while providing cash prizes for their school.  The presentation will review the campaign from concept to implementation.

Freddie Freeman Jr., Stormwater Specialist
City of Bessemer, AL

A Cost Effective Restoration with Multiple Benefits
Sarasota County is challenged to manage an extensive coastal canal system that was built to drain wetlands many decades ago. After a recent study of the Phillippi Creek Basin, it was determined that repetitive erosion repairs were being conducted in some areas while other canals required almost no expenditures of time or money. The County is also subject to challenges in reducing nutrient pollution for impaired waters and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) bodies of water as required by the NPDES MS4 permit. The County is considering natural channel designs after the study has changed perceptions about the possibility of reducing maintenance costs long term while naturalizing canals, which improves property values, and denitrifying stormwater as it flows through the drainage system.

John Kiefer, PhD, Principal Engineer – Water Resources
Wood Environmental and Infrastructure Solutions

3:10 p.m. - 3:55 p.m.
(Track A)
0.75 credits

Forming Effective Partnerships to Streamline Outreach Programs for Maximum Results
The City of Columbia and Richland County are medium MS4s with different permit requirements but they partner together on outreach programs to reduce E. Coli and nutrient loads, expand their reach, and tell the same story in two unique ways. Their collaboration allows them to share resources, meet permit requirements, and develop effective outreach programs. At the end of this presentation attendees will be able to identify ways to pool staff and budget resources with other municipalities, create professional networks to broaden the scope of outreach projects, and develop collaborations that will ensure residents hear a consistent message.

Chenille Williams, Education Program Coordinator
Richland County, SC

Nell Orscheln, Utilities Communication Coordinator
Columbia Water, SC

3:10 p.m. - 3:55 p.m.
(Track B)
0.75 credits

Leveraging Disaster Recovery Grant Funds for Stormwater Infrastructure Projects
Learn how Richland County, South Carolina was able to fund stormwater capital improvement projects using disaster recovery grant funding. This presentation will discuss how to plan for and implement recovery efforts after a natural disaster, why developing a strategic plan to address infrastructure needs can better prepare you to leverage resources after a disaster, and how to identify infrastructure projects that meet FEMA and Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery mitigation goals.

Synithia Williams, Stormwater Division Manager
Richland County, SC

Valeria Davis, Community Development Block Grant Manager
Richland County, SC

Break in Exhibit Hall
Visit exhibit booths to learn about new and emerging technologies!

WOTUS Litigation Update:  Current…and Future?
If it seems like the WOTUS litigation has been going on for years…IT HAS!  Unfortunately, as TV Infomercials often say:  “But Wait!”  SESWA’s counsel in Waters of the United States litigation will update the audience on the status of the challenges to the 2015 rule, the status of the 2019 proposed rule and where things will likely stand if something similar to the 2019 proposal is adopted as a final rule.  The workshop will provide an update on the status of current and future litigation, and how that relates to surface water quality and your MS4.

Mohammad Jazil, Attorney
Hopping Green & Sams

Leveraging Resources for Implementing NPDES MS4 Permit Requirements
Learn about the many free and low-cost resources available that you can take advantage of to help meet MS4 permit requirements and maximize the efficiency of your program. This presentation will be especially helpful for small to medium-sized MS4s with limited staff and budget resources.

Craig Miller, NPDES Program Supervisor
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services, NC

Reception in Exhibit Hall
Visit exhibit booths to learn about new and emerging technologies! A drink and light snacks will be provided.

Friday, October 11, 2019 / Regular Conference

8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
(Track A)
0.75 credits

Challenges in the Implementation of Water Quality Crediting Programs
Chattanooga, Tennessee has developed a unique Credit and Incentive Program. This program provides incentives and flexibility for development and redevelopment activities. Developers can earn credits or a coupon when exceeding minimum requirements. The earned coupons can be applied to other sites that cannot meet minimum requirements. Also, the coupons can be traded in an open market. Other options such as off-site mitigation, lieu-in-fee and alternative design standards are also available for sites that cannot meet the volume design standards.

Mounir Minkara, PhD, PE, CPSWQ, Water Quality Manager
City of Chattanooga, TN

Evolving Solutions for Pollution Prevention within Municipal Field Operations
The City of Charlotte, North Carolina's Good Housekeeping and Pollution Prevention Program includes facilities AND field operations. Operations where best practices are challenging and evolving will be highlighted including saw cutting and paint blasting, street flushing, street sweepers, and leaking fluids on construction projects.

Kristen O'Reilly, Water Quality Program Specialist
City of Charlotte, NC

The Fiscal Impact of Post-Construction Stormwater Maintenance
Stormwater compliance laws, the reasons these valuable measures are in place, and how they are enforced are not widely known among the public at large. This lack of education and awareness leads to stormwater maintenance control not being considered until after a site has already been developed, which results in increased costs for property owners. This presentation will look at the financial implications of non-compliance and discuss preventive and post-construction stormwater maintenance best practices which yield both cost savings and increased real estate value.

Michael Brewer, Vice President
Restoration + Recovery (R+R) The Stormwater Management Company

Optimization Analysis of a Street Sweeping Program
Street sweeping is a common pollution source control practice performed by municipalities to help meet NPDES permit requirements as well as TMDL and BMAP requirements for improving the quality of stormwater runoff. This presentation will review a project focused on the optimization of the City of Lakeland, Florida’s stormwater pollutant source control program through characterization of street sweeping debris, the application of cluster map analysis, and simulation models.  Through this process recommended alternatives to optimize spatial and frequency characteristics of street sweeping actions were developed to maximize nutrient removal.

Mark Ellard, PE, CFM, DWRE, ENV SP, Senior Principal
Geosyntec Consultants

Mike Hardin, PhD, PE, CFM, Senior Project Engineer
Geosyntec Consultants

Break in Exhibit Hall
Last chance to visit exhibit booths to learn about new and emerging technologies!

Preventing Maintenance Mayhem
The City of Birmingham, Alabama has developed a BMP maintenance program specifically for property owners. All BMPs have enforceable Maintenance Agreements and are broken into core components and potential issues are broken into categories for ease of understanding. Checklists certify annual inspections as well as more frequent maintenance.  The presentation will review this new Post-Construction Stormwater Management Program including a recently developed manual with inspection checklists, detailed maintenance requirements and specifications.

Heather Williams, Senior Project Manager
Wood Environmental and Infrastructure Solutions

Who Pooped in our Water? Lessons Learned Using Bacteroides Biomarker Methods
To implement appropriate measures to reduce fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) it is critical to determine what source species are responsible for contributions. Approximately 94 surface water samples were collected by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services between January 2014 and June 2017 and analyzed for human, canine, bird, beaver, and ruminant bacteroides biomarkers. Microbial source tracking (MST) was used for the identification and quantification of species-specific biomarkers. This presentation will summarize the results and lessons learned from applying this source tracking methodology.

Jason Hunt, PE, Water Quality Planner
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services, NC

Federal Update and National Stormwater Trends
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies will provide an update on water-related issues and US EPA’s stormwater program priorities at the national level, focusing on stormwater policy and permitting programs.

Emily Remmel, Director of Regulatory Affairs
National Association of Clean Water Agencies