Water Quality and Supply Issues Monthly Update-JULY 2024
Greetings from the Construction Industry Coalition on Water Quality. It’s July in California and it’s HOT just about everywhere in our great state, so stay safe out there on your job sites and keep a sharp eye out for signs of heat-related illness and take immediate action to protect yourself and co-workers.
We know our readers have lots and lots to do, and it’s the height of family vacation season, so this month we keep it snappy with information about three upcoming water-related events bringing together industry professionals, and we share CICWQ’s recent comment letter to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board regarding their consideration of a new, regional municipal stormwater runoff permit for a three-county area in southern California.
Make sure and stay with us in August! We will be publishing our first year review of the revised California Construction General Permit for stormwater and implementation issues faced by the construction industry.
JULY NEWSWORTHY ITEMS
The 39th Annual Tri-State Seminar – August 5-8, 2024 -- Las Vegas, Nevada
Hosted by the AZ Water Association, California Water Environment Association, and Nevada Water Environment Association, the 2024 Tri-State Seminar brings together the best in people and products for the water, wastewater, and stormwater management professions.
This year, CICWQ—represented by Mark Grey, Robert Patterson, and Russ Foster—will present an hour-long review of the new California Construction General Permit (CGP) for stormwater and its first year of full implementation. The presentation includes updates on important new compliance requirements and a review of state enforcement actions.
The four days of the Tri-State Seminar activities include comprehensive ½-day workshops on an array of public works topics and availability each day for accumulating Continuing Education Units (CEU) by attending classes and presentations. Many of our industry professionals must keep up with CEUs for professional certifications, including construction stormwater professionals working under the CGP.
The 18th Annual Southern California Water Conference – August 9, 2024 -- Ontario, California
For nearly two decades, the BIA Southern California Water Conference in Ontario has provided a forum for government officials, water management representatives, business leaders, and community stakeholders to share best practices and discuss ideas for meeting the challenges of serving the growing demand for water while protecting our natural resources.
Historically, the conference draws between 300 and 400 water industry professionals who seek the latest information and guidance from top industry experts. This year, Secretary Wade Crowfoot from the California Natural Resources Agency will be the featured keynote speaker.
The New California Stormwater Construction General Permit Workshop – August 28-29, 2024 -- San Diego, California
Learn From Experts’ Best Practices and Lessons Learned From Years of Implementing the CGP
This intensive workshop spans two half-days (August 28-29, 2024) and offers thorough training to help construction project owners and operators, consultants, engineers, and legal professionals fully understand the New California Stormwater Construction General Permit (CGP). The course fee includes materials, CASQA-certified Trainers of Record (ToRs) instruction, lunch, refreshments, and a Certificate of Completion.
Proposed Santa Ana River Watershed Regional MS4 Permit – Construction Industry Comments
The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board has released a draft proposed Order (permit) for regulating discharges of pollutants in stormwater and urban runoff from Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties on a regionwide basis. The permit is the first of its kind in the Santa Ana region, where previously, each county maintained individual, county-wide permits.
Several new changes are proposed for the New and Significant Redevelopment section of the proposed permit (Order Section VIII), impacting the building and construction industry tasked with designing and installing post-construction stormwater runoff controls. Notable are major changes to how the Regional Board grants hydromodification control exemptions, how new roadway projects must comply with on-site stormwater retention requirements, and how some urban land development projects can benefit from a water quality credit trading program, newly available to permittees.
