The Center for Watershed Protection (the Center) has been helping the District of Columbia stay up-to-date on stormwater management standards for over 20 years. The Center first assisted the District in 1999, with revisions to their draft Stormwater Guidebook, which dated back to 1994. The new guidebook contained what at the time were innovative new sizing criteria for water quality, overbank flood control, and extreme flood control for new development. In 2013, the Center worked with the District Department of Energy and the Environment (DOEE) to again revise their Stormwater Management Guidebook. This time, the update focused on how to implement the District’s new 1.2” retention rule, one of the most progressive retention standard stormwater regulations in the country. The new retention rule was influenced by the Runoff Reduction Method, developed by the Center with the Chesapeake Stormwater Network and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. The updated 2013 guidebook included even more detailed information on stormwater retention and detention for development and redevelopment, as well as specifications for thirteen stormwater best management practices (BMPs) to address water quality. The specifications include design details, calculation procedures, and construction guidance for each BMP, along with spreadsheet tools that aid designers and plan reviewers in determining compliance with the rules. Particular attention was paid to stormwater management practices that are appropriate for urban conditions, and the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in urban development.
Following completion and publication of the 2013 Guidebook, the Center has maintained an active role with DOEE’s stormwater efforts. Our staff assisted DOEE with plan reviews of proposed development projects and assisted with a 2020 update to the Guidebook that addressed regulation changes and improvements in our understanding of stormwater BMP performance. The Center is also extensively involved in DOEE’s training efforts on the revised Stormwater Management Guidebook. We lead monthly training workshops for designers, plan reviewers, inspectors, and other interested stakeholders to ensure that everyone has the necessary knowledge to utilize the revised stormwater guidebook, and that development projects will proceed with the best stormwater management designs.
While the Center’s work on plan reviews and training continues, we are also working to keep DOEE on top of developments in the stormwater world. This includes producing periodic technical memos on a range of stormwater topics to keep DOEE staff informed on the state of the science, and initiating literature reviews and on-the-ground research to ensure that the information and requirements in the Guidebook stay accurate and up to date. For more information about the Center’s work in DC, contact Greg Hoffmann at gph@cwp.org.
