Isanti staff present MS4 annual report: two illicit discharges, 84 violation letters; report due June 30

City staff presented the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) annual report and held the required public hearing during the March 4 Isanti City Council meeting.

Stephanie (city staff) said the MS4 permit is administered by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and that the city became an MS4 community in February 2016. She said the 2024 report will be submitted when the MPCA's new reporting system opens; the city must file the annual report by June 30, 2025.

Staff reported two illicit discharges in Isanti in 2024: one related to accumulated leaves discharging into the storm system and another from a basement sump pump discharging to the street. The city sent 84 violation letters in 2024, staff said, mostly connected to new construction (dirt in the street, inadequate erosion controls). "When we have a lot of construction... it's pretty typical for us to send out" that number of letters, a staff member said.

The city funds MS4 work through stormwater fees, staff said. Current partnerships for implementing best management practices include Bolton & Menk, Anoka and Isanti-area soil and water conservation partners, Rum River (consultant/inspector partners), and MPCA/DNR for regulatory compliance.

Staff described ongoing education and public-outreach work (school water-day demonstrations and increased social media) and efforts to improve enforcement procedures for illicit discharges. No substantive policy change or vote resulted from the public hearing; the hearing was held and the presentation was accepted for the record.