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Council approves drafting of stormwater pollution prevention ordinance after MS4 audit
Summary
Following a mandated MS4 audit, Hooper City authorized staff to draft updates to local stormwater ordinances (SWIP) to align with permit requirements, including illicit-discharge provisions, dechlorination rules and enforcement language; draft to return for legal review and council consideration.
The Hooper City Council voted to authorize drafting a revised stormwater pollution prevention ordinance after a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) audit identified gaps in the city’s existing stormwater rules.
Taylor Stauffer of JUB, the city’s engineering consultant, told the council the MS4 audit required the city to update ordinances by December to bring local rules into conformity with state and federal permit requirements. Stauffer said the revisions focus on clarifying prohibited “illicit discharges,” requiring construction stormwater prevention plans for sites disturbing one acre or more, spelling out enforcement steps and fines, and adding a requirement that dechlorinated pool water—not chlorinated water—be discharged to storm drains.
City staff told the council the draft ordinance will be reviewed by the city attorney and returned to the council at its September 18 meeting for formal consideration. Council member Fowers moved to authorize the city attorney, Reid, to prepare a draft ordinance amending the municipal code section referenced as HCC 6-4; Council member Hill seconded the motion and the council voted in favor.
Stauffer said some proposed language is straightforward—explicitly stating that illicit discharges to the storm drain are illegal—while other updates will formalize practices already required of developers, such as erosion and sediment controls. He said the city’s engineer and WFRC staff have discussed potential cost increases and that the ordinance updates are primarily administrative and enforcement-focused.
The council’s action at the meeting was limited to authorizing preparation of a draft ordinance; no ordinance was adopted at that meeting. Staff will circulate a draft ordinance, obtain a legal review, and bring the item back for council consideration and potential vote.
