Help For Communities Making Integrated Planning Decisions To Manage Water Quality

The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) is developing a toolbox to help communities manage compliance with water quality regulations in a way that integrates multiple disciplines. The project, Users’ Guide for Integrated Planning for Wastewater and Stormwater (SIWM9R14), is being led by Geosyntec Consultants and their team which includes the University of Cincinnati Economics Center, Patricia McGovern Engineers, and Barnes & Thornburg.

Communities spend significant resources to protect the public and environmental health of their waterways and to comply with regulatory requirements of the Clean Water Act. Through integrated planning, water quality objectives can be met while simultaneously addressing the competing requirements that arise from separate wastewater and stormwater projects. Sustainable and comprehensive solutions can result (e.g., green infrastructure) that improve water quality while supporting other attributes that enhance the vitality of communities. Integrating planning efforts can be a daunting process, however.

This project builds on WERF’s prior and ongoing integrated planning research. Geosyntec’s team seeks to facilitate community discussions regarding integrated planning, align visions with the realities of implementation, and create a dynamic guide for municipalities and regulators. In working with participating communities, alternatives analysis tools will be developed to support water quality trading agreements, green infrastructure strategies, and asset management.

About The Water Environment Research Foundation ((WERF)
The Water Environment Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed in 1989, is America's leading independent scientific research organization dedicated to wastewater and stormwater issues.