City presents MS4 annual stormwater report; Earth Day cleanup, inspections noted

Nate Conyers, the city’s stormwater coordinator, presented the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) annual report to the Excelsior Springs City Council on April 7, outlining education, inspections and maintenance activities required under the city’s permit.

Conyers told the council the city’s MS4 program organizes work in six areas: public outreach and education, public involvement, illicit-discharge detection and elimination, construction-site runoff control, post-construction runoff control, and good-housekeeping municipal operations. “Under our municipal separate storm sewer system permit, the city is required to take steps to reduce pollution and stormwater runoff,” Conyers said.

Conyers reported the city worked with the American Regional Council’s water-quality education program, posted three Facebook education items, maintained marking on nearly 87% of storm inlets, and held an Earth Day cleanup with 61 volunteers who collected more than 59 bags of trash and 12 large pickup loads of bulky items. The city met with 60 students and 40 teachers from Lewis Elementary on flood control and performed 35 outfall inspections. Conyers said three illicit discharges were reported by city staff and one by the public; all were investigated and resolved.

Other figures Conyers provided: 3,976 feet of sanitary sewer CCTV inspection; 65 commercial inspections on five active grading permits; 42 inspections on 20 active residential permits; 56 basin inspections (two minor violations); 37 employees trained in stormwater procedures; and 493 miles of street sweeping with 27 bags of trash collected from rights-of-way. Each maintenance facility was inspected twice with no major issues identified.

Council members did not take formal action on the report during the meeting; Conyers said McClure Engineering would assist on other projects discussed later in the agenda.