What are the best stormwater BMPs?

We go over the best stormwater BMPs for any operation.

A lot of companies hire us to assist them with stormwater BMP issues because they have issues with keeping their facility in compliance with their stormwater permit. Other times, they're looking to stay ahead of the regulations, and want to ensure no issues arise.

We find many folks with stormwater permits can get confused, or struggle with understanding and implementing stormwater BMPs. Here we set out to discuss what the best stormwater BMPs are, regardless of your industry or facility.

It's always a great time to address any issues with your stormwater program, since it can literally rain at any time! Getting your facility up to snuff can help you stay ahead of regulations and out of trouble, saving you time and money. Stormwater best management practices can help keep your operation running smoothly, and I advise everyone to revisit them at least annually, to keep problems from appearing.

Chances are, your stormwater permit has some sort of limits or benchmarks in place, so making sure your stormwater discharges come off your site as clean as possible is vital. So let's dive into them, and learn more.

What are the best stormwater BMPs?

Largely, it depends, but these are some tried and true ways you can improve the quality of stormwater at your facility.

• Housekeeping – This is the single best stormwater best management practice you can implement. Operating a cleaner site, free of pollutant-generating debris, sediments, and trash is the best way you can reduce your site’s chance of causing stormwater pollution. Housekeeping also pays huge dividends in site appearance to regulators, the community, neighbors, and workers. This is the best, and most often overlooked practice at most facilities I've ever been to.
• Spill prevention and control – Stop spills and leaks from happening in the first place, and they won’t be available to be carried off in a stormwater runoff. The use of an SPCC Plan here helps tremendously. The more stuff you have on the ground, be it oil, antifreeze, diesel exhaust fluid, etc., the more stuff you'll have in your stormwater.
• Soil erosion and sediment control – One of the most common pollutants in stormwater is solid materials or “sediment” (think dirt) that very often comes from areas of bare ground or materials stockpiles. Activities like planting ground covers like grass, basic landscaping, or the use of stone for soil stabilization are fantastic ways to prevent this. For instance, we've always found that installing basic stone filters has a huge benefit towards reducing sediment in runoff.
• Inspections – Regular, documented inspections of your site, with an eye towards environmental conditions, things that don’t look right, or areas that you can improve on, are one of the best ways you can prevent pollutants from becoming an issue in the first place. Just actually getting outside and walking around your facility is a great stormwater best management practice, and it can alert you to problems before they happen. By the way, most folks with a stormwater permit are required to do this anyway, so you should already be doing this.
• Training – A no-brainer. Everyone needs regular environmental training. Educating your personnel on stormwater pollution, where pollutants come from, and how to prevent them can make all the difference between polluted runoff and clean runoff. I always advise whatever staff you can include, should be included in stormwater training or basic environmental compliance training.

What is the best stormwater permit for you?

Really, it depends. The best stormwater permit for you or your operation is whatever works best for your facility. Kind of a dumb statement, but the reality is there is are no single BMPs that are "the best" for everyone.

These stormwater best management practices aren’t the only ones you should implement. There's a whole host of other options out there, but they'll really depend on your site, your permit, and what you need to accomplish. Some can be elaborate and expensive, while others are simple and cheap.

But we find these are the basic and often times best stormwater BMPs. If you start with these, we find that for most facilities, they'll yield the best results. When we start working with clients at a new facility, we won't even start thinking bigger until these basic best management practices are happening. Obviously, there are special cases, but this is where we always start and encourage you to start here as well.

Now your turn – what stormwater best management practices work best for you? If you aren't sure, it may be best to contact an expert to learn how to deal with stormwater permits and other environmental regulations.

Need more information on stormwater permits?

Check out some of these helpful links for more information on stormwater permits:

• What is a stormwater permit?
• What is an SWPPP? What is a stormwater pollution prevention plan?
• Can I develop or create my own SWPPP?
• What can I discharge with an NPDES stormwater permit?
• Stormwater vs Process Water: What's the difference?
• What is Stormwater Training?
• Why do I need stormwater training?
• Can I take my own stormwater samples?
• How to pick a water testing lab for stormwater or process water sampling.
• DIY pH Kit for Stormwater Sampling, Monitoring, or Testing
• What are stormwater sample holding times?
• How to do a stormwater visual inspection the RIGHT WAY!

Additional Stormwater BMP Help

For a lot of folks out there, figuring out all the details of stormwater BMPs can be a pain to deal with. After all, you have a business to run! If you're overwhelmed, you're not alone. RMA has been actively involved in helping companies get and stay in compliance with stormwater permits in across the United States since our founding in 1992. Long story short, we know the ins and outs of the environmental problems industrial and commercial facilities face and can help you establish a stormwater BMP program, as well as assist with getting into compliance with stormwater permits and other applicable environmental laws and regulations, ensuring your business stays out of trouble and in compliance.

Our staff members have been on-site at thousands of operations across the country, so when we say we've seen it all and done it all, we mean it. We've helped everyone, from globe-spanning, multi-national organizations to small "mom & pop" operations. No matter your size or location, we'd love to learn how we can help.

So, if you're having any type of issue with your stormwater management program or BMPs at your facility and need the help of an environmental consulting firm with a proven track record, reach out. Even if we can't help, we’ll do our best to steer you in the right direction. Feel free to contact us at info@rmagreen.com, click here to contact us, or give us a call anytime at 888-RMA-0230 to learn how we can help your facility deal with stormwater permits and other environmental regulations.