The Center’s work on improving stormwater management in Georgia continues to expand. With assistance from the Center, the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual was published in 2016. The Manual updated the rules regarding better site design, water quality best management practices, and perhaps most importantly, introduced the concept of Runoff Reduction (application of strategies that minimize the increase in runoff associated with developed lands) as a means for improving water quality.
In response to publication of the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual, Gwinnett County published its own version of the Manual. The Gwinnett County Stormwater Management Manual largely mirrors the statewide version but includes more explicit requirements for site plan development and other information specific to Gwinnett County.
The Gwinnett County Stormwater Management Manual went in effect on March 1, 2018, and the County realized that it would be important to get the staff up to speed on the new Manual as quickly as possible. Greg Hoffmann from the Center teamed up with fellow stormwater expert Jason Wright of Tetra Tech to deliver two half-day stormwater trainings to the staff at Gwinnett County.
The trainings covered water quality basics, natural features inventory, better site design, stormwater best management practice design, and water quality calculations. Time was allotted for discussion of the new rules and how they might affect development and stormwater management in Gwinnett County. There was also an opportunity for the participants to work through their own example plans to see how the new rules would apply to a real-world project.
Brian Watson, Southeast Regional Manager at Tetra Tech, and project manager for this effort, attended the training, and noted that, “Greg and Jason made a great team, delivering a training that was both educational and engaging.”
