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Council approves MS4 annual report, staff outlines inspections and upcoming watershed modeling
Summary
City staff presented the 2024 MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) annual report and the council approved a resolution accepting the report. Staff described inspections, repairs and upcoming watershed and stormwater-quality modeling funded by FEMA and a Wisconsin DNR grant.
The River Falls City Council approved a resolution accepting the city’s 2024 MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) annual report after a public hearing and staff presentation about inspections, maintenance and planned modeling.
Tyler Galdi, planning and engineering technician, briefed the council on the MS4 program and the city’s compliance work. He said staff performed 78 construction-site inspections of active sites larger than one acre, conducted 31 outfall inspections, reviewed 66 stormwater ponds and inspected 457 storm sewer structures, finding 25 that required repair. Galdi said the city received zero illicit discharge reports to the DNR last year and that staff inspects active construction sites monthly and after rain events of 0.5 inch or greater.
Galdi described routine enforcement practices: inspectors document deficiencies with photos and provide contacts for project supervisors or developers, typically allowing 24 hours to remedy issues; unresolved problems can lead to citations. He also described two modeling projects underway: FEMA/Wisconsin Emergency Management-funded Hoffman Basin watershed modeling to study flooding and downstream effects of the Hoppe (Hopin) Park master plan, and a Wisconsin DNR grant-funded update to citywide stormwater quality modeling; both projects are expected to finish in 2025.
Council members used the public hearing to encourage more public outreach on reporting suspected illicit discharges and to highlight the city’s “adopt-a-pond” program, which asks residents to perform two cleanups per year and submit reports to public works. Galdi confirmed the city also manages the university’s MS4 compliance.
A motion to approve the MS4 annual report was made and seconded during the reopened council session and passed on a roll-call vote.
During discussion the council asked for clearer public-facing ways to report stormwater concerns; one council member proposed using the mayor’s newsletter and other city communications to invite resident participation. Galdi said staff will continue inspections, followup enforcement when needed and complete the modeling work that will inform future project priorities.
