The KJ Stormwater Team was represented by Ross Dunning (Federal Way, WA), Katie McCoy (Rancho Cordova, CA), Rachel Morgan (San Francisco, CA), Catrina Paez (Ventura, CA), Laura Weiden (Federal Way, WA), Sachi Itagaki (Santa Clara, CA), and Gordon Alexander (Irvine, CA) at the 2018 California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) 14th Annual Conference.
The team enjoyed three days of vibrant conversation in Riverside, CA, including sponsoring the Monday evening networking event, presenting in two sessions, and moderating one session:
- Katie McCoy – Watershead Impairment Pollutant Assessment
- Sachi Itagaki and Rachel Morgan – Two Approaches to Harnessing Stormwater for Groundwater Recharge and Water Supply
- Katie McCoy – Moderator, Advanced BMPs/Case Studies
In addition to moderating a panel of speakers that discussed test results for new Industrial General Permit (IGP) Qualified Industrial Stormwater Practitioners (QISPs) and Level 1/Level 2 compliance perspectives from two Regional Water Board staff members, KJ presented a new guidance document newly approved by CASQA to assess monitoring requirements for facilities located in an impaired [303(d) listed] HUC 10 watershed. The guidance document was prepared by a workgroup, which KJ contributed to, associated with CASQA’s IGP Subcommittee and was intended to help support a facility’s assessment of their potential pollutants and the information entered in the online reporting system (SMARTS). The guidance document provides a decision tree and example evaluations for two parameters: dissolved oxygen and temperature. The guidance document is available to CASQA members on the CASQA website .
As the stormwater community seeks to “connect the dots”, stormwater capture and reuse has gathered more attention and interest. KJ recognizes the benefits as well as the challenges involved in using stormwater as a source for groundwater recharge and water supply. Internal collaboration between our stormwater experts and our integrated “One Water” management experts makes KJ particularly well equipped to assist clients with their stormwater capture and reuse needs. Sachi and Rachel’s presentation highlighted two of the approaches our firm has taken – one using stormwater to recharge the previously-over drafted Santa Margarita groundwater basin within the Scotts Valley Water District service area, and the other considering stormwater as an additional source of water for the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District’s (LVMWD) proposed Advanced Water Treatment Plant to improve water supply reliability and drought resiliency. The LVMWD assessment was a feasibility-level evaluation that considered opportunities for capture and reuse across their service area, which KJ accomplished by focusing on identifying stormwater BMP projects proposed by local entities that could be modified to include additional storage and connected to LVMWD’s existing sanitary sewer collection system for conventional wastewater treatment and advanced water purification for surface water augmentation. Through this approach, local partnerships could be formed to share both costs and benefits of implementation. Admittedly, individual projects likely have a small impact when compared to potable water demands, but multiple BMPs implemented within a system have the potential to collectively contribute a meaningful quantity of stormwater. KJ helped both clients acquire grant funding.
KJ enjoyed the opportunity to converse with our colleagues, including clients, consultants, regulators, and vendors, and learn from the wide variety of other presentations which covered the State’s Construction, Industrial, and Municipal Stormwater Permits (including the adopted Industrial General Permit Amendment, effective 1 July 2020) in addition to using stormwater as a resource, monitoring program design, watershed planning, and other topics. We’re already looking forward to next year’s conference in Monterey, CA and hope to see you there!
Keep in mind, of course, that this blog is for information purposes only and does not substitute as professional advice for how to handle specific situations that may arise. If you are interested in more information on our stormwater services, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog! Or email us at stormwater@kennedyjenks.com.
