Public Works - Smyrna Storm Water Management

Welcome to the Town of Smyrna Storm Water Management Program

Hello, my name is Greg Upham. I would like to introduce you to one of the newest Smyrna programs known as the Municipal Separate Storm water Sewer System-Phase II, or simply the MS4 Program or storm water management. An easy definition of storm water is; water, after it is no longer considered rain, hail, sleet, ice, or snow that is on the move.

The MS4 Program is legislated by the U.S. Congress, mandated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and enforced by the Division of Water Pollution Control within the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) through MS4 permits. The program’s intent, in Smyrna, is to improve the water quality of Stewart Creek and its tributaries and to heighten public awareness of the importance of water quality.

The MS4 program is managed by the Smyrna Public Works Department and addresses storm water runoff as it affects the water quality of our streams and groundwater. The Smyrna Public Works (Streets) Department continues to address storm water as it relates to safety, drainage, ponding, flooding and other nuisances on public properties. Woodlands slow the flow of runoff even more.

During and after precipitation (storm event), either rain, hail, sleet, ice, or snow falls on pervious (to allow fluid to move through) surfaces, such as your lawn or garden, then takes a long time to reach the closest drainage ditch or nearby stream or sinkhole because it first soaks into the top soil.

On the other hand, if precipitation occurs on impervious (to not allow fluid to move through) surfaces, such as your rooftop, paved driveway, or street the water will probably reach the closest drainage ditch, stream, or sinkhole much sooner because an impervious material prevents it from soaking into the top soil. This second case is considered the most problematic form of storm water runoff. Normally, as the total area of impervious surface increases the greater the likelihood that storm water will become a significant problem for local water quality.

Before Smyrna began to grow so much, the land cover was dominated by pasturelands and to a lesser degree woodlands. Back then, when precipitation occurred water eventually soaked into the topsoil taking a long time to reach the nearby stream or sinkhole, a direct route (conveyance) to our valuable groundwater.

The steepness of the banks profile, curvature (sinuosity), and gradient (vertical descent over horizontal distance) of the stream, as well as the biota (fauna) and plant life (flora) that inhabited the stream were established, in part, by the amount of storm water the stream received. Years ago, the stream carried smaller volumes of water, which moved at slower speeds than what it does today because the water had the opportunity to soak into the topsoil more than it does today. Now, there is significantly more impervious surface area in Smyrna. During and after a storm event the stream is forced to carry deeper and faster moving water than what it was ever intended to carry. Fortunately, through the required implementation of detention and retention basins to intercept and delay the movement (discharge) of this storm water to our streams, this problem has been somewhat reduced.

WHEN IT RAINS - IT DRAINS

To compound the problem, much of the time runoff moves pollutants, such as particles of dirt (#1 pollutant in TN), engine fluids, cigarette butts, litter, pesticides, and many other substances not indigenous (naturally occurring) to stream water, into our streams and sinkholes. Collectively these substances are referred to as illicit discharges and are considered by the EPA, TDEC, and the Town of Smyrna's MS4 permit as being harmful to the receiving streams and groundwater.

Increased storm water, a by-product of Smyrna’s urban growth (urbanization), can cause the trees, which once held the stream’s bank together and provided homes (habitat) for its microscopic fauna (insect larvae), fish, and craw daddies (crayfish), through their root systems, while providing shade for the cooling of stream water during the hot summer, through their branches and leaves, to be uprooted and topple into the stream during and after storm events.

When the stream looses its trees it looses much of its ability to survive severe storm events. Signs of this are; much of its bank is removed (eroded), trees fall into the stream and create dams, and flooding occurs significantly more often and more extensively. By finding means of reducing these conditions, the Smyrna Public Works Department can begin to reverse this trend and return our streams to the condition that once existed.

With this goal in mind, all MS4 programs are required to abide by six ‘minimum measures’ set forth by the EPA. These ‘minimum measures’ define the scope of the MS4 Program and contain goals and objectives the Town of Smyrna is required to meet in order to satisfy its MS4 permit.

These minimum measures are:

• public education and outreach,
• public participation and involvement,
• illicit discharge detection and elimination,
• pre- and during-construction site runoff control,
• permanent storm water runoff control
• post-construction runoff control, and
• pollution prevention and good housekeeping (municipally owned or leased properties).

ONLY RAIN DOWN THE DRAIN

In an effort to heighten your awareness of the MS4 Program, storm water management, I will be introducing the six ‘minimum measures’ through future installments to this website. By referring back to this site from time to time, you will have the opportunity of learning about each of these minimum measures and what the Town of Smyrna is doing to improve the water quality of the Stewart Creek watershed and heighten the public awareness of the importance of water quality.

If this article has peaked your interest in local water quality or if you have always been interested in this very important subject, please do not hesitate to contact me at 355-5701 (I do have voice mail) or at my email address greg.upham@townofsmyrna.org . I would be very interested in talking with you.

And, while you are thinking about water quality, please think about whether you would like to become a member of the Stewart Creek Watershed Association, a non-advocacy, citizens-driven group focused on improving local water quality and heightening the public’s awareness of the importance of water quality. We need you!!

Storm Water Hotline

The Storm Water Management Program also has a telephone hotline you can call with any water quality concerns.

The hotline number is 355-5789 and is dedicated to the collection and processing of citizen complaints concerning surface and ground water quality issues or you can email greg.upham@townofsmyrna.org.

If your complaint addresses actual flooding and/or high water issues on your property or roadways caused by blocked drainage ways, please call the Public Works Department at 459-9766.

If your complaint does concern an act of pollution to our streams or groundwater, you will be asked to answer four questions listed at the end of this message (see below). Once you have provided your answers simply hang-up your phone.

Tennessee's Storm Water Management Program Overview (pdf)

The hotline is checked for messages at least twice during the work day. Your complaint will be investigated then an attempt will be made to resolve the water quality problem.

We appreciate your concerns as well as your efforts to inform others of the hotline.

The four questions are:
1) What is your name and phone number? Answer only if you feel comfortable doing so.
2) What act did you see?
3) Where did this act occur?
4) When did this act occur?

Be River Smart about things you do at home.

--For more information on how you can do your part on protecting Tennessee's waterways write or visit online:

Internet:
www.tennesseewaterworks.com

A GUIDE TO RECYCLING
IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY

AT YOUR CONVENIENCE &
KROGER RECYCLING CENTERS

YOU CAN NOW RECYCLE:

ALL CLEAN PAPER FROM YOUR HOME, OFFICE, CHURCH, OR SCHOOL
(JUNK MAIL, SCHOOLWORK, COMPUTER PAPER, MAGAZINES, CATALOGS, & BROWN BAGS) BY DEPOSITING IT IN THE
NEWSPAPER BIN

ALL FLAT CARDBOARD (CEREAL & FOOD BOXES, PIZZA BOXES, & OTHER NON-CORRUGATED CARDBOARD) BY DEPOSITING IT IN THE CORRUGATED CARDBOARD BIN

PLEASE DO NOT PLACE THESE ITEMS IN BAGS OR BUNDLE THEM.

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PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE NON-RECYCLABLE ITEMS AT ANY OF THESE CONVENIENCE CENTERS…RE-USE THE ITEMS OR PROPERLY DISCARD THEM AS GARBAGE.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT USED LATEX (ONLY) PAINTS WHEN ALLOWED TO COMPLETELY DRY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THEIR CANS AND DISCARDED AS GARBAGE?
DID YOU ALSO KNOW THAT THE METAL PAINT CAN ITSELF CAN THEN BE REUSED OR RECYCLED AS METAL AT YOUR NEARBY  CONVENIENCE CENTER, IN THE METAL BIN?

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THE GROWING OPPORTUNITIES TO RECYCLE YOUR USED PRODUCTS,
PLEASE CALL:
RUTHERFORD COUNTY EXTENSION @ 898-7710

Storm Water News

6th ANNUAL
TOWN OF SMYRNA
STREAM CLEANUPS
AS PART OF THE NATIONWIDE
GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP EVENT
***
STREAM CLEANUP #2
APRIL 30TH (no makeup date)
***
STREAM CLEANUP #3
MAY 14TH (5-21-11 makeup date)
***
ALL SATURDAYS
**********
8AM – NOON
**********
YOUTH GROUPS, SCOUTS, CHURCHES, FIRMS, & INDIVIDUALS ARE ALL WELCOME
**********
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO TRY OUR EQUIPMENT
“FUNDED UNDER AN AGREEMENT WITH TWRA”
**********
STREAM CLEANUP MEETING SITES:
TO BE ANNOUNCED
**********
FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO SIGN-UP
CALL GREG @ 355-5701
 

Write:
Center for Environmental Education
Middle Tennessee State University
Box 60
Murfreesboro, Tennessee 37132