Slip-Lining Culvert Pipes

When a culvert begins to corrode, crack, or separate at the joints, engineers and highway departments often face a choice between excavating the old pipe and installing a new one or rehabilitating the existing structure in place. Slip-lining is the most widely used trenchless rehabilitation techniqu…continue

Safeguarding Hydric Soils from Stormwater Runoff

Hydric soils, those that form under prolonged saturation and develop anaerobic conditions, are ecological powerhouses. They store carbon, filter pollutants, support wetlands, and buffer floods. Because they are already close to saturation, even modest increases in runoff volume or velocity can trigg…continue

Understanding Stormwater Outfalls: Types and Their Environmental Impact

What is a stormwater outfall? A stormwater outfall is the point where a storm-drain system, whether pipes, ditches, or channels, discharges runoff to a receiving water such as a stream, wetland, lake, or the ocean. Regulatory guidance clarifies that simple cross-road culverts, which only pass flow b…continue

Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs): Your Municipality’s Unsung Stormwater Ally

What exactly is an SWCD? Created under state law in every state and most U.S. territories, nearly 3,000 locally led Soil and Water Conservation Districts now cover almost every county in the nation. Their boards, typically a mix of farmers, municipal officials, and at-large residents, design and del…continue

Gamifying MS4 Refresher Courses to Boost Retention

Why We Need a New Approach Annual (or even quarterly) MS4 refresher courses are mandatory under the NPDES Phase II program, yet completion logs and pop-quiz scores often reveal that municipal crews quickly forget key practices such as spill-response or best management practice (BMP) housekeeping. En…continue

Keeping Pace with the 2025 MS4 Permit Updates

What Changed & Why It Matters for Your Stormwater Program Why new MS4 rules landed in 2025 EPA’s 2015 NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule (the “e-Rule”) postponed many Phase II requirements to give states time to build electronic portals. That grace period ends 21 December 2025, so…continue

Stormwater Operations Training for DPW Staff: Essential Skills for Modern Compliance and Performance

As regulatory requirements and infrastructure demands continue to evolve, stormwater operations training for Department of Public Works (DPW) and Highway Department staff has never been more critical. Effective training ensures that personnel are prepared to safely and efficiently manage stormwater …continue

Inspecting Catch Basins and Culverts: A Critical Component of MS4 Compliance

Proper inspection and maintenance of stormwater infrastructure, especially catch basins and culverts, is vital to ensure effective drainage performance, prevent flooding, and comply with Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) regulations. These structures are often the first and most visible co…continue

How to Identify Illicit Stormwater Discharges

Protecting your community’s waterways starts with knowing what doesn’t belong. Illicit discharges are one of the most persistent threats to stormwater systems and local water quality. These unauthorized flows, often containing pollutants like oils, detergents, sewage, or industrial waste…continue