• What is the Water Quality and Flow Monitoring Program (WQFMP)?
• Why do we have a water quality and flow monitoring program?
• What types of monitoring activities does the City conduct as part of the WQFMP?
• What are the different types of monitoring sites?
• Is the Water Quality and Flow Monitoring Program (WQFMP) the same thing as the Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) that is the basis for the Surface and Stormwater Management (SSWM) Utility Fund?
• Where can I find a copy of the NPDES permit?
• Is the City currently in compliance with the NPDES permit, and is the City on schedule to meet future deadlines of the permit?
• Does the City partner with other agencies or neighboring cities to fulfill the permit requirements?
• Does the City use volunteer help for these programs, and if so, how can I get involved?

Q.  What is the Water Quality and Flow Monitoring Program (WQFMP)?

A. The WQFMP is a program designed to assess, restore, and protect the water quality of Bainbridge Island’s surface waters, protecting beneficial uses of our streams, harbors, and shorelines through a combination of watershed assessment and resource monitoring activities. It was designed and developed in anticipation of the Phase II National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued in 2007.

In 2006-2008 the City completed the development of a comprehensive Water Quality and Flow Monitoring Program Final Monitoring Plan and a pilot study through a Centennial Clean Water Fund grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). The monitoring plan, which consists of a Site Evaluation Report (Volume I) ( part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4), a Sampling and Analysis Plan (Volume II), and a Quality Assurance Project Plan (Volume III), is the over-arching guidance manual for the implementation of the WQFMP.

Q. Why do we have a water quality and flow monitoring program?

A. The reasons for a program designed to assess, restore, and protect the water quality of Bainbridge Island’s surface waters are manifold. They are centered around a primary goal of protecting beneficial uses of our streams, harbors, and shorelines such as beachcombing, swimming, boating, fishing, and shellfish harvesting and protecting the vital habitat of our aquatic neighbors.

Community’s Expressed Desire: The program was created in part to respond to citizen interests. The 2008 Budget Priorities Survey Report identified ensuring adequate water supply and protecting water quality in Bainbridge streams and shorelines as the top two services for tax priority.

Our community’s commitment to protecting water quality was also recognized in the 2004 Comprehensive Plan, which contains the following statements:

“Protect the water resources of the Island, which are of primary importance to its residents.” (Goal #3)

“Protect the water resources of the Island.” ( #2 Overriding Principle that Guides the Plan)

“The City should institute a comprehensive program of water resource data gathering and analysis. Such a program shall include geologic studies and monitoring of static water levels, water use, water quality, surface water flows, and acquisition of other data as necessary.” (Water Resources Element, Monitoring Policies, #M1.1)

Regulatory Basis: The body of legislation that regulates the assessment and protection of water quality of waters of the state (streams, lakes, rivers, wetlands, Puget Sound) at the state and local levels originates from the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, more commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act ( Title 33 USC 1251-1387).

Through the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can and does delegate such protection and oversight to the state governments. In Washington State, the responsibility belongs to the Washington State Department of Ecology (“DOE” or “Ecology”).

Ecology, in turn, can and does delegate most of the responsibility to local governments or entities through Washington Administrative Code: the Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the State of Washington ( WAC 173-201A), the Water Quality Standards for Ground Waters of the State of Washington ( WAC 173-200), the Model Toxics Control Act-Clean Up ( WAC 173-340), and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Program ( WAC 173-220).

Surface water quality assessment and protection activity at the local governmental level is primarily intended to maintain and demonstrate compliance with the Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the State of Washington (WAC 173-201A). However, most of the specific tasks associated with these activities are mandated through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Program (WAC 173-220).

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit is most commonly referred to as the NPDES permit or the Stormwater Discharge Permit. One of the multitude of requirements of this permit is the institution of a local ordinance to prevent the discharge of pollutants to the City’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) which drains, untreated, directly to waters of the state within or adjacent to the City’s jurisdictional boundaries ( BIMC 15.22 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination).

Q. What types of monitoring activities does the City conduct as part of the WQFMP?

A summary of program activities during the development and pilot study of the WQFMP and the particular activities scheduled for 2008 were detailed in 2008 Final City of Bainbridge Island Annual Technical Memorandum.

Q. What are the different types of monitoring sites?

A. WQFMP monitoring sites are categorized based upon two main criteria: type of water sampled and data collection method.

Water Type

There are three main types of water sampled under the WQFMP: freshwater, stormwater (rain runoff), and marine (nearshore) water. Freshwater sites are locations such as streams, ponds and lakes that are naturally-occurring or are engineered catchments of naturally-occurring waters, have a perennial base flow component (exhibit >50% of their typical flow during non-storm periods), and/or receive most of their recharge from non-storm related sources.

Stormwater sites are locations that experience mostly storm-related flows or have a majority of their recharge emanate from stormwater. These locations typically include engineered piping/drainage systems, outfalls, retention ponds or other engineered or non-engineered channels, gutters or ditches.

Nearshore sites are characterized by their position along beaches, bays, harbors or inlets, are tidally influenced, may or may not be confined to defined channels, and have water salinity concentrations between 0.5 and 2 percent (5 to 20 parts per thousand). These nearshore locations usually correspond to an adjacent terrestrial freshwater (stream) or stormwater (outfall) site, such that the two form a coupled terrestrial-receiving water system.

Data Collection Method

Monitoring sites can vary depending upon the method of data collection (automated or manual) and type of data collected (weather/climate, flow, water chemistry, physical habitat and/or biological integrity).

Automated Water Quality and Flow Monitoring Sites

Automated sites are those sites at which permanent monitoring infrastructure is constructed and various automated sampling and measurement instrumentation is installed. Due to the complexity of installation and maintenance of automated monitoring, only those sites that were deemed most critical and amenable to automated sampling by the Monitoring Plan’s Site Evaluation Report (SER)are slated for such.

Manual Water Quality and Flow Monitoring Sites

Many of the potential monitoring sites evaluated in the Monitoring Plan SER were determined to be significant, but do not lend themselves well to automated monitoring due to access, safety challenges, low to no dry weather flows, and/or complex stream geomorphology. However, significant water quality and flow data can be obtained through manual in-stream flow and physiochemical measurements and/or water grab sampling on a cyclical basis (once or twice a month).

Weather/Climate Monitoring Sites

Q. Is the Water Quality and Flow Monitoring Program (WQFMP) the same thing as the Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) that is the basis for the Surface and Stormwater Management (SSWM) Utility Fund?

A. No. The WQFMP is only one component of the Surface and Stormwater Management Program (commonly called the “swim” program or the “swamp.”) The SWMP is a complex program that manages all the responsibilities of the installation, use, maintenance, and protection of a municipal stormwater drainage system such as:

• Determination of drainage needs for capital improvement, maintenance, and flood control.
• Design, construction, inspection, maintenance, and mapping of all infrastructure (catch basins or street drains, drainage pipes, water pollution control devices, culverts, flow control devices, roadside ditches, man-made conveyance channels, stormwater ponds, and outfalls) either City-owned or in the City right-of-way and utility easement areas.
• Permitting and oversight of the design and installation of new stormwater drainage infrastructure both private and city-owned.
• Inspection and maintenance enforcement of any privately-owned drainage infrastructure that connects to the City’s system.
• Codified provision for and technical assistance with the design, installation and maintenance of all stormwater infrastructure, especially low impact development (LID) techniques for new development or re-development to reduce stormwater runoff from developed areas.
• Inspection of new development and re-development sites to ensure appropriate sediment and erosion control to prevent pollutant-laden runoff from the site before, during, and after construction as well as long term Best Management Practices to control water quality and quantity after project completion.
• Development and implementation of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), pronounced “swip” or “sweepee,” that establishes best practices and procedures to prevent pollution generation from any Operation and Maintenance activity such as road maintenance, utility maintenance, automotive and equipment maintenance and storage and materials handling and storage.
• Business inspections to identify any onsite pollutant-generating activities and correct any poor business or housekeeping practices that do, or have the potential to, result in an illicit discharge of pollutants to the stormwater drainage system or waters of the state.
• Water quality education, outreach, and technical assistance to citizens and business owners to eliminate and prevent any potential illicit discharges of pollutants to the drainage system or waters of the state.
• Codification of ordinance to prevent the discharge of pollutants to the stormwater drainage system ( BIMC 15.22), and to control runoff from new development, re-development, and construction sites ( BIMC 15.20 and 15.21).
• Training of staff that will perform the required work or are field personnel.
• Tracking of all costs associated with all components of the program.
• Investigation of reported water quality incidents through site visits, source identification monitoring, and corrective action.
• Prioritization of receiving water bodies based upon history of water quality incidents, land use, and water quality sampling and analysis.
• Field assessments of priority areas.
• Assessment of stormwater water quality discharging to the waters of the state and the impact of said discharge to the receiving waterbody to identify and eliminate pollutant sources and to demonstrate regulatory compliance.
• Assessment of previous water quality problem history, land use, and receiving water quality to establish priority areas in which to direct pollutant source identification and elimination efforts.

Q. Where can I find a copy of the NPDES permit?