Instructors

Andrew J. Reese, P.E.
Mr. Reese is the Principal Engineer and Vice President of AMEC Earth and Environmental, Inc. in Nashville, TN.

He has over 25 years of experience in water resources engineering, hydraulic and hydrologic engineering, and management.

Mr. Reese has published many articles on hydraulic design and urban stormwater management.

Elizabeth Treadway
Ms. Treadway is a Senior Consultant and the Municipal Services Manager for Water Resources, with AMEC Earth and Environmental, Inc. in Greensboro, NC.

She has over 22 years of experience with 12 years directly managing governmental environmental programs.

She is experienced in developing and implementing municipal stormwater programs and stormwater utilities, in preparing EPA NPDES Phase I and Phase II stormwater permit applications and stormwater pollution prevention plans.

She was responsible for the planning, development, financing, and implementation of a comprehensive stormwater management utility for the City of Greensboro.

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Course Description

Municipal stormwater management programs are currently in transition in the United States. The compounding demands of aging infrastructure, stormwater quality requirements, new technology, increasing citizen expectations, and the aggregate impacts of urban sprawl all conspire to stretch scarce financial resources dedicated to stormwater management beyond the limit. As comprehensive stormwater programs grow in complexity, and as local governments begin to assume responsibility for more and more of a defined drainage system, stormwater programs begin to resemble water and wastewater utility systems and programs. It is increasingly common to consider stormwater in the same way when it comes to funding, as a public utility.

Stormwater utilities have been around in the United States since the early 1970s, but there has recently been an explosion of new stormwater user fee, or utility, programs developed. Some have failed politically, technically, or legally. But those that are successful have provided the necessary stable, flexible, adequate, and equitable funding to support increasingly complex and comprehensive stormwater programs. The inception of the Phase II NPDES stormwater requirements will cause many more local governments to seriously consider implementing a stormwater utility to cover increased costs.

This one and a half day seminar provides a condensed and comprehensive review of the key components of considering, deciding, developing, and implementing a stormwater utility. Taught by two of the most accomplished stormwater program and utility consultants in the United States, this course will give you the tools and information you need to develop a stormwater utility. The two instructors have developed stormwater funding programs and studies in over 100 cities and counties, including some of the most successful stormwater programs in the United States.

The first day covers the important topics of:

• Overview of stormwater financing
• Identifying issues and needs
• Stormwater program organization and costs
• Estimating Phase II costs
• Determination of utility feasibility
• The utility development process
• Primary and secondary funding methods
• Database development
• Informal extended discussion for those who wish to discuss their own situation

The second day covers:

• Gaining political and public support
• Policy making processes and citizen groups
• Developing a scope of services
• Feasibility studies
• Case studies
• Extended question and answer session

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Seminar Benefits

• Learn ways to pay for the cost of an NPDES Phase II program
• Be able to assess a stormwater program in terms of funds spent and program effectiveness
• Understand how to estimate the costs of a stormwater phase II program and its impact on a local stormwater program
• Be able to develop a projection of stormwater program priorities and costs based on current needs and objectives
• Understand the procedure for successfully justifying and implementing a stormwater utility
• Learn how to anticipate and handle legal challenges
• Learn how to identify and recognize key policy issues pertinent to a local community and lead a citizens group through a consensus building process to policy resolution
• Understand the development of a rate structure and rate study and the use of secondary funding methods and rate modification factors

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Who Should Attend

Municipal public works personnel, storm water plan reviewers, consultants, civil engineers, urban planners, public works and local officials, politicians, financial officers, state and local regulators, and others involved in municipal storm water management will benefit from this seminar. Whether highly experienced or new to the field, you will find that this seminar will equip you to manage or execute the process of establishing a stormwater utility in a local community.

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Summary Outline

Day One

• Overview of Municipal Stormwater Management
• Overview of Stormwater Financing
• Costs of stormwater programs
• Defining a stormwater utility
• The basis for utility charges
• Comparison of a utility to other primary funding methods
• Overview of implementation steps
• Developing Program Direction and Costs
• Organization and function of stormwater programs
• Identifying and understanding problems and needs
• Setting program priorities
• Developing levels and extents of service
• Estimating program costs
• Impacts of Phase II on stormwater programs
• Cost of service analyses
• Rate Studies and Rate Structures
• Rate structures
• Primary finding methods
• Rate methodologies and how to select the best one
• Secondary funding methods
• Rate modification factors
• The rate making process
• Database Development
• Developing the master account file
• Developing the billing system
• Making policy decisions
• Informal Evening Discussion of Attendees Situations

Day Two

• Policy Issues
• Program policies
• Funding policies
• Database policies
• Justifying a Stormwater Utility
• Why and how utilities fail
• How not to justify a utility
• How to justify a utility
• Legal issues and how to survive a law suit
• Stormwater Utility feasibility studies
• Initiating a feasibility study
• Use of a citizens group
• Roadmaps and policy making
• Public Education and Support
• Phases in a utility development
• Defining the public
• Defining the messages
• Defining the means of reaching the public
• Stakeholders and political leadership
• Case Study Examples

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Attendees’ Comments

"Very informative and organized seminar. Fantastic examples and a lot of good information."
Kevin Nosek, Department Engineer
Professional Engineering Associates, Troy, Michigan

"Information provided was good and it will help public agency managers make better decisions in the stormwater utility program."
Khalid Bazmi, Principal Civil Engineer
City of Corona, Corona, CA

"This was a very good seminar that will actually help me think outside of the box on how to set up my stormwater program."
Cynthia Gabaldon, P.E., Associate Engineer/NPDES Coordinator
City of Corona, Corona, CA

"The seminar provided information that was specific enough to use as a program guide yet broad enough to encompass many types and sizes of communities."
Allicia Brundage, City Engineer
City of Clearlake, Clearlake, CA

"The seminar provided an outstanding overview of all the issues relating to the creation of a stormwater utility."
Maher M. Hazine, Assistant City Engineer
City of Peoria, Peoria, AZ

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