The Stormwater Equipment Manufacturers Association drafted a new Maintenance Agreement for use by state and local government agencies in setting an ordinance requiring the maintenance of all stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs). Stormwater BMPs are land-based, proprietary or natural practices that provide a level of treatment or storage to improve the water quality of the watershed. These practices in one form or another are installed on every project. Like a car, these practices require routine inspection and maintenance.

A sample Operation and Maintenance Agreement available from the SWEMA website includes templates for inspection checklists for each type of BMP, including water quality buffers. The inspection checklists also can serve as an inspection report for each facility. Inspection priorities and schedules for each BMP type must be submitted to the designated authority when required by the owner or municipality, as a component of the long-term maintenance plan for the site. These templates are general guidelines and may be modified by the design engineer or plan designer as needed for site-specific conditions.

SWEMA members are committed to advocating sustainable and effective solutions for stormwater quality through educational outreach to regulators, design professionals, developers and other stakeholders in clean water initiatives.

For more information, contact SWEMA managing director Laurie Honnigford at 651/554-1895 or laurie@stormwaterassociation.com.