If your site required an IDEM Rule 5 Permit for construction, you will be responsible for operating and maintaining any post-construction best management practices (BMPs) that were included in the site plans. Examples of post-construction BMPs may include:
Wet detention ponds- Dry retention ponds
- Bio-swales
- Bio-retention (rain gardens)
- Constructed wetlands
- Infiltration trenches
- Infiltration basins
- Sand filters
- Vegetated filter strips
- Subsurface detention
- Green roofs
- Conservation easements
- Riparian buffer zones
- Pervious concrete
- Porous pavement
- Porous pavers
Wet detention pondsStormwater Management conducts yearly inspections of these practices, to verify that they are being maintained properly. Post Construction BMPs and their maintenance are required by local, state, and federal law as part of the Clean Water Act. Examples of maintenance issues may include:
- Inlet or outfall blockage
- Trash/debris removal
- Erosion
- Sediment build-up
- Invasive plant species removal
- Missing or dying vegetation
- Tree/shrub replacement
This 8-minute video completed in 2016 describes the steps to maintaining a residential stormwater management pond. The primary target audience is home or property owners’ associations but residents living in a community with a stormwater pond can benefit from this information too. Topics covered include an explanation of a stormwater pond, the purpose of the pond, why some ponds fail, what to look for when inspecting the pond, expert tips on maintaining the pond, and how this on-going, needed maintenance is typically paid for.
For more information about post-construction maintenance, email cpruitt@msdeng.com.