New US EPA Guidebooks on Water and Smart Growth

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently released four guidebooks to help local governments deal with water quality issues, and their stormwater permits. All are downloadable, and hard copies are available for free.

Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices, part of a series of primers on smart growth. The goal of this document is to help communities that have adopted smart growth policies and plans recognize the water benefits of those smart growth techniques and suggest ways to integrate those policies into stormwater planning and compliance. Taking credit for the work a community is already doing can be a low-cost and practical approach to meeting water quality goals and regulatory commitments.

Examples of smart growth techniques and approaches covered in this publication include:

• Regional planning
• Infill development
• Redevelopment policies
• Special development districts
• Tree and canopy programs
• Parking policies to reduce the number of spaces needed or the footprint of the lot
• “Fix It First” infrastructure policies
• Smart growth street designs
• Stormwater utilities.

To download a copy of the report, visit http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/stormwater.htm. To obtain a hard copy of the report, contact EPA's National Service Center for Environmental Publications at 800 490-9198 or ncepimal@one.net and ask for publication number EPA 231-B-05-002.

Protecting Water Resources with Higher-Density Development

EPA has released a new report — Protecting Water Resources with Higher-Density Development — for water quality professionals, communities, local governments, and state and regional planners who are grappling with protecting or enhancing their water resources while accommodating growing populations.

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the U.S. population will grow by 50 million people, or approximately 18 percent, between 2000 and 2020. Many communities are asking where and how they can accommodate this growth while maintaining and improving their water resources. Some communities have interpreted water-quality research to mean that low-density development will best protect water resources. However, some water-quality experts argue that this strategy can backfire and actually harm water resources. Higher-density development, they believe, may be a better way to protect water resources. This report helps guide communities through this debate to better understand the impacts of high- and low-density development on water resources.

The report is available for downloading at www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/water_density.htm. For hard copies, please send an e-mail to ncepimal@one.net or call (800) 490-9198 and request EPA publication 231-R-06-001.

Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) Office of Water has published a guide to watershed management as a tool in developing and implementing watershed plans. The draft, Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters is aimed toward communities, watershed groups, and local, state, tribal, and federal environmental agencies. The 414-page handbook is designed to take the user through each step of the watershed planning process:

• watershed monitoring and assessment
• community outreach
• selection and application of available models
• best management practices
• effectiveness data bases
• implementation
• feedback
• plan adjustment.

The handbook is intended to supplement existing watershed planning guides that have been developed by agencies, universities, and other nonprofit organizations. It is more specific than other guides about quantifying existing pollutant loads, developing estimates of the load reductions required to meet water-quality standards, developing effective management measures, and tracking progress once the plan is implemented.

EPA is accepting comments until June 30, 2006. They should be addressed to watershedhandbook@epa.gov. The draft handbook is available online at http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/watershed_handbook. You can order a free copy from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications by calling 800/490-9198 or e-mail ncepimal@one.net. When ordering, refer to EPA document number EPA 841-B-05-005.

National Management Measures to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution from Urban Areas

This comprehensive 512-page guidance will help local governments and others protect water resources from polluted runoff that can result from everyday activities and urban development. It will also help municipalities and other regulated entities implement Phase I and Phase II Stormwater Permit Programs.

This publication includes voluntary guidance on 12 management measures designed to prevent and control runoff pollutants from urban and suburban lands. The management measures cover topics such as watershed assessment and protection; runoff from new and existing development, road networks, and construction sites; septic system impacts; pollution prevention; and inspection and maintenance of urban runoff management practices. The guidance is free and available online at http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/urbanmm/.

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