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What
activities is the City of Covington involved with to prevent pollution
and improve water quality?
NPDES
(National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Stormwater Phase II
Permit Compliance
The City of Covington is required to comply with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's Stormwater Phase II Permit Program. The program requires
that regulated communities, such as Newton County and the City of Covington,
prepare Stormwater Management Plans to help alleviate pollution in urbanized
areas. The NPDES permit contains limits on what can be discharged as well
as monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure that discharges do
not impair water quality, causing human health problems and affecting
animal habitats. As part of compliance, the City of Covington has created
the stormwater management program, which will be coordinated with several
on going activities such as:
Watershed
Assessment
The
City of Covington has been involved in a watershed assessment for the
drainage basins that provide drinking water sources for city residents
and businesses. The assessment determines the conditions of streams
and estimates the size and effects of pollution sources. It has also
helped to provide and evaluate options for protecting and improving
water quality in the city. Watershed assessments are required by the
Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to obtain permits for
new water and water waste treatment plants and the expansion of existing
facilities.
Watershed Overlay Zoning District
Covington has created a watershed overlay
zoning district for the protection of source water watershed areas.
The zoning district identifies watershed areas as an overlay to the
zoning map. The boundaries of the overlay district follow established
drainage and topographic patterns. Development in the overlay zone will
be limited and approved only after careful consideration of potential
impacts to water quality.
Adopt-a-Stream
Program
The
Adopt-a-Stream program has been created to help keep water areas clean
from trash, debris, and other pollutants as well as to monitor unauthorized
dumping and other activities that may affect water quality. The program
includes clean-up days and an educational component consisting of written
materials, workshops, and other local events and activities.
Keep Covington/Newton Beautiful Program (KCNB)
The
Keep Covington/Newton Beautiful Program is a partner of the Keep America
Beautiful and Keep Georgia Beautiful programs. The board of the KCNB
program is comprised of more than 60 citizens with a goal of educating
the public on environmental issues. Some of the activities of
the program include litter prevention, beautification, solid waste management,
and water conservation efforts.
What
are Best Management Practices (BMP's) and what are some BMP's the city
of Covington could perform to prevent or reduce stormwater runoff?
As
part of the development of a stormwater management plan for the NPDES
Phase II Permit, the City of Covington is evaluating numerous stormwater
Best Management Practices (BMPs). BMPs are practices and techniques used
to reduce, treat or prevent stormwater runoff. Best management practices
may include ordinances and regulations, nonstructural and structural controls,
and maintenance and operational procedures. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) have
defined six categories of BMPs, also referred to as minimum control measures.
Listed below are BMPs and activities the City of Covington has proposed
for the stormwater management program. See Covington's Georgia
EPD approved NOI for details about the below activities.
Public Education and Outreach
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Stormwater
brochures
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Stormwater
education programs in local schools
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Stormwater
management tips in the local paper
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Stormwater
management website
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Television
advertisements or educational videos
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Public Participation and Involvement
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Storm drain
stenciling
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Rivers
Alive stream cleanups
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Public
recognition program for good stormwater stewards
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Keep Covington/Newton
Beautiful Program
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Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
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Storm drainage
system mapping
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Illicit
Discharge screening, identification, and correction
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Complaint
tracking and follow-up
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Ordinance
and other controls
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Construction Site Runoff Control
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Sample
plans for distribution
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Regulatory
program for construction sites
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Timed or
milestone based inspections
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Building
inspection holds for non-compliance
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Plan review
checklist
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E&S
Plan review and approval procedures
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Ordinance
and other controls
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Post-Construction Runoff Control
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Stormwater
management ordinance
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Georgia
Stormwater Management Manual adoption
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Stormwater
management plan reviews
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Required
site concept meetings for all new developments
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Development
of maintenance procedures for stormwater management systems on
public and private property
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Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal
Operations
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Employee
training in materials handling and pollution prevention
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Regular
sweeping of City parking lots and streets
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Routine
catch basin cleaning
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Inspection
of publicly owned stormwater management facilities
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Monitoring
of NPDES industrial facilities
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Adopt-A-Highway
Program
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Assessment
of City-owned BMPs for retrofit potential
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