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Stormwater staff brief council on MS4 annual report; inspectors increase and IDEM audits addressed
Summary
Stormwater program staff reported 2024 MS4 activities including public outreach events, outfall and construction inspections, 743 food-service establishments tracked with 342 inspections, fines collected, and two IDEM audits; staff said four new positions were added and the program will step up inspections to meet permit deadlines.
City stormwater staff presented the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) annual report required by the MS4 general permit and described program activity for 2024.
Karen (stormwater coordinator) told the council the MS4 program provided 11 public education/outreach events in 2024 and added four staff members to the stormwater group (two positions were vacant at the time of reporting). The program reported 199 total outfalls citywide; 37 outfalls were inspected in 2024 and 79 remain to be inspected during the permit term. Food-service establishment (FSE) data show 743 registrants, 342 inspections, 39 illicit-discharge violations and $1,000 in fines collected.
On construction oversight, staff reported 15 Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) were approved, roughly 922 inspections of active sites (transcript number: "9 22 inspections" interpreted as 922), 134 violations and $22,350 in fines. For post-construction measures, staff said 11 measures were newly installed and 78 inspections have been completed out of 184 total measures in the program to date. Karen said IDEM conducted two audits in 2024: an August audit that identified a deficiency at a street maintenance building (secondary containment for salt brine) which the city corrected, and an Oct. 7 review that found no deficiencies for construction and post-construction program elements.
Staff said they will increase inspection activity as vacancies are filled and noted outreach activities such as school presentations on microplastics and rain-barrel giveaways. Council members asked several procedural and coverage questions; staff answered that MS4 permit numeric targets may change under the next permit cycle (anticipated 2026).
Why it matters: The MS4 program regulates stormwater discharges and enforces best-management practices for construction, municipal operations and food-service establishments. The council received the required annual report and was informed of enforcement activity and corrective actions taken in response to IDEM audits.
No action was required; the presentation was informational.
