Stormwater Regulations for Municipalities and Counties
As mandated under the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permitting program consisting of two phases. Phase I regulations, promulgated in 1990, address the most environmentally problematic point source discharges of stormwater runoff into watershed areas.

The Phase II program, promulgated in 1999, focuses specifically on the regulation of additional sources of runoff concerns. Phase II compliance became a requirement for local Boulder and St. Vrain Watershed municipalities in March of 2003. Though the EPA is primarily responsible for the implementation of Phase II, in our case, as in most, the EPA has authorized individual states to administer the program in their own jurisdictions.

In the State of Colorado, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Water Quality Control Division is responsible for regulating the discharge of stormwater by issuing discharge permits through the Colorado Discharge Permit System (CDPS) (link opens in new window).

Keep it Clean Partnership Goal To use a collaborative approach in creating cost-effective solutions to implement a regional stormwater management program, not only to comply with Phase II regulations, but also to address broader water quality and watershed issues.

The Keep it Clean Partners
Keep it Clean participants include Boulder County; the cities of Boulder, Longmont, and Louisville; and the towns of Superior and Erie. These communities, with populations under 100,000, are referred to by the Colorado Water Quality Control Division as Phase II municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) and require a discharge permit. The Partners have combined resources to be the Keep it Clean Partnership. Keep it Clean Partner contact information is available here.

The Keep it Clean Partners hold monthly public meetings. Keep it Clean contacts, agendas, and publications are posted here.

The Keep it Clean Plan or Minimum Control Measures (MCMs)
In developing the Keep it Clean Plan emphasis was placed on developing programs that meet Phase II Stormwater Regulations, using existing, successful programs; addressing community water quality goals; and allowing for flexibility within jurisdictional oversight.

The Phase II regulations call for the implementation of six minimum control measures (MCMs) to address the impact of stormwater runoff on water quality and stream health.

These programs are described in detail in the Keep it Clean Plan. Highlights include:

1. Public Education and Outreach - Keep it Clean contracts with the existing City of Boulder's Stormwater Education Program to support and expand delivery of stormwater education to the public and school-aged children. Keep it Clean also contracts with the existing Boulder County Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) program to educate local businesses on their potential impacts to stormwater.
2. Public Participation and Involvement - Keep it Clean develops, in conjunction with the City of Boulder's Stormwater Education Program, annual outreach programs and a storm drain stenciling program.
3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination - The Keep it Clean Partner's collaborated on the development of an Illicit Discharge Ordinance Plan, which the individual Partners have adopted, and implement and enforce.
4. Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control - Keep it Clean Partner’s collaborated on ordinance language addressing construction site erosion control, which the individual Partners have adopted, implement and enforce. Keep it Clean also developed an Erosion Control Certification and Training program and outreach material for the construction industry.
   
5. Post-construction Stormwater Management - Keep it Clean collaborated on ordinance language and a program, which addresses the installation and maintenance of stormwater quality improvement facilities (best management practices or "BMPs"), reporting and enforcement standards. The ordinance language and program has been adopted and is implemented by the individual Partners.
6. Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations - Keep it Clean contracts with Boulder County's Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) to inspect and certify the Partners' municipal operations to ensure that stormwater quality is protected.