As we head into the second decade of meeting regulatory requirements related to the Chesapeake Bay TMDL, we have started to gain an understanding of the effects of time on our green infrastructure and stormwater management facilities.  We’ve learned lessons about the importance of detail in design, construction methods, and maintenance that impact the longevity and success of our stormwater practices.  We’ve identified practices best suited for the coastal, piedmont, and mountainous areas of our region.  We have started to consider modifications to our modelling and designs to account for climate change impacts, but we had not anticipated for a disruption such as viral pandemic that would disrupt our daily operations.

Impacts of COVID on our municipalities have resulted in greater difficulty in facilitating many routine needs such as the inspection, maintenance, and tracking of infrastructure, including stormwater facilities.  Personnel, budgets, equipment, and resources have been stretched and health and safety materials have been intermittently scarce.  However, obstacles result in resourceful creativity.  This presentation will explore our stormwater management practices, the changes that occur within a best management practice over time, and methods that may be helpful to more efficiently inspect, maintain, and track the stormwater infrastructure that we’ve spent the last eleven years updating to improve the quality of our waters.