BLUEGRASS SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT

Water Quality Track

February 4, 2020

• The Consent Decree• Sanitary Sewer

Capital Project Updates

• Stormwater and Water Quality

AGENDA

The Consent Decree: Impacting the future of Lexington’s infrastructure and Fayette County’s water quality

• 2006: Department of Justice, EPA, and State sue LFUCG.

• 2008: Settlement filed with US District Court and is rejected.

• January 3, 2011: Judge signs Consent Decree.

• December 31, 2026: Deadline to complete all compliance measures (interim milestones apply – subject to penalty).

LFUCG Consent Decree:Why do we have it? What is it?

Consent Decree (98 pages)(Purpose – Achieve Compliance with Clean Water Act)

Sanitary Sewer SystemEliminate SSOs

Sewer System StudiesConstruction Projects

Maintenance

InfrastructurePipes, Pump Stations,

Manholes, WWTPs

Storm Sewer SystemReduce Pollution to Streams

(Water Quality Focus)Ordinances, Procedures,

Design Standards,SWQMP, Stormwater Fee

People’s BehaviorContractors, Industries, Developers, Businesses,

Citizens

Environmental ProjectsOffset Fine

Coldstream ParkGreen Infrastructure

Blue Sky WWTPFlood Evaluation

Infrastructure

• Stormwater Quality Management – pollution control, not flooding.

• Dry Weather Sanitary Sewer Overflow Abatement – O&M programs to prevent / minimize overflows when it is not raining.

• Wet Weather Sanitary Sewer Overflow Abatement – fix capacity issues through capital projects to prevent rainfall-induced overflows.

• Supplemental Environmental Projects – four projects to offset fines.

Four Primary Components of the Consent Decree

Sanitary Sewer Capital Project Goals

Prevent overflows up to a target “design storm”

WARNING

SANITARY SEWER OVERFLOW (SSO) SSO No. ________

THE WATER FLOWING FROM THIS

STRUCTURE MAY BE CONTAMINATED DURING AND AFTER RAIN EVENTS

PLEASE AVOID ALL PHYSICAL CONTACT AS IT MAY POSE A HEALTH RISK

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL THE LEXINGTON FAYETTE COUNTY GOVERNMENT AT

859-425-2255

Sanitary Sewer Capital Project Goals

Provide capacity for development / redevelopment projects

Sanitary Sewer Capital Projects Types

1. Wet Weather Storage Tanks2. New or Upgraded Pump Stations and Force Mains3. Trunk Sewer Upsize / Replacement4. WWTP Reliability Upgrades

I N F R A S T R U C T U R E & T H E E N V I R O N M E N TLower Cane RunWet Weather Storage Tank

UK Trunk Sewer Replacement

• Originally constructed in 1934 as the ‘Southern District Relief Sewer’

• Broken• Inaccessible – under buildings

Storm Sewer Consent Decree Obligations

• Stormwater Quality Management Program (SWQMP)• Ordinances• Funding – Water Quality Management Fee (WQMF)• Staffing / Training / Equipment

What is Driving the Water QualityProgram?

Impaired Waters• Defined by KDOW – 305(b) / 303(d)

• Designated Uses

• Fish Consumption

• Warmwater Aquatic Habitat

• Secondary Contact Recreation

• Primary Contact Recreation

• Water Quality Criteria

How Do We Change Our Streams?RED → → GREEN• Look at All Sources

• Sanitary

• Storm

• Background

• Quantify the Pollutants

• Look at the Regulations

Estimated Reductions from Sanitary Sewer Capital Projects

Estimated Reductions from Sanitary Sewer Capital Projects

How Do We Change Our Streams?RED → → GREEN• Impacts to Citizens

• Water Quality Management Fee ‐ $5.00/ERU/mo

• ↑ Sanitary Sewer Rates

• Construction Inconveniences

• More Messaging / Education / Involvement

How Do We Change Our Streams?RED → → GREEN• Opportunities for Citizens ‐ SSAC

• Attend quarterly meetings

• Understand your local process in meeting regulatory requirements

• Know the critical areas in your town – impairments, TMDLs

• Understand the monitoring – where, why, what is it telling us

• Work with other stakeholders to identify common areas of interest – WORKGROUPS

• Provide input

How Do We Change Our Streams?RED → → GREEN• Opportunities for Citizens ‐WFMP

• Volunteers Needed for Outfall / Stream Sampling

• May through September – every other week, half‐day

• September and October – 2 events in dry weather, half‐day

• Training provided

• All equipment provided

How Do We Change Our Streams?RED → → GREEN• Opportunities for Citizens

• Stormwater Quality Projects Incentive Grant Program

• Recoup Water Quality Management Fees Paid by Implementing Projects to Improve Water Quality, Reduce Stormwater Runoff, Educate on Water Quality Issues

• FY 2021 Grants:

• Class A & Class B Education Applications Due 5/8/20

• Class B Infrastructure Applications Due 7/24/20

• Class A (Single Family Residences / Farms): • Neighborhood, Community, and Home Owner Associations that

are incorporated with the Commonwealth of Kentucky and have a roster of elected officers. Organizations representing (a) single-family residences, (b) duplexes, and (c) farms.

• Class B:• “all non-farm commercial, industrial, institutional, and multi-family

(excluding duplexes) parcels within Fayette County”• Organizations or Individuals who pay the WQMF COULD BE:

• Individual property owner of a Class B Parcel• Tenant on a Class B Parcel that pays the WQMF• Corporations, organizations, HOAs … that pay the WQMF

THE GRANT PROGRAMGuidelines - Who is Eligible to Apply?

• Awarded to Date:• Stream Cleaning/Invasive Species Management• Rain Gardens • Rain Barrels• Pond Aeration and Algae Control• Stream Bank Restoration, Riparian Buffer, and Plantings• Replacement of Impervious Pavement with Permeable Paver System• Training volunteers in Water Testing• Develop Video about a Watershed (Cane Run)• Hosting Neighborhood Educational Events• Medical Health Assessments with relation to Streams• BMP Retrofit Planning Study• Basin Retrofit• Environmental Improvement Plan

• A Detailed List of Projects isavailable at www.lexingtonky.gov

GRANTS – CLASS A

GRANTS – CLASS ASouthern Heights NA Permeable Pavers Installation

GRANTS – CLASS AHartland NA Streambank Stabilization

GRANTS – CLASS AFriends of Wolf Run Streamside Buffer – Oxford Circle

• Awarded to Date:• Replacement of Impervious Pavement with Permeable Pavement

System• Stream Bank Restoration and Riparian Buffer• Rainwater Harvesting and Reuse• Basin Retrofits • Proprietary Water Quality Devices• Feasibility Studies• Constructed Wetlands• Bio-Infiltration Swales and Bio-Retention Areas• Underground Stormwater Detention• Green Roof

• Detailed List of Projects available at www.lexingtonky.gov

GRANTS – CLASS B INFRASTRUCTURE

STREAMSBrighton Woods – Stream Restoration

Before

After

STREAMSLansdowne NA Streambank Stabilization – Zandale Park

Questions?