East Point outlines stormwater work, warns of federal fines and $30M repair need

Melissa Echeverria, East Point’s water and sewer director, gave City Council a wide-ranging briefing on the city’s stormwater management program and its legal and fiscal limits. She told council the division maintains routine street sweeping, CCTV inspection, creek maintenance and emergency repairs to meet federal Clean Water Act and Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) requirements.

Echeverria said the city has kept its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MS4) permit compliance record since 2017 and FEMA Community Rating System (CRS) standing since 2013, but that failure to meet the MS4 permit or the city’s Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan could expose East Point to enforcement fines. “In the event that the city does not maintain the MS4 permit … we could be fined up to $50,000 per day or $100,000 per day per violation,” Echeverria said.

Echeverria showed photos and descriptions of multiple emergency sinkhole and pipe-collapse repairs the city has undertaken in the last two years — including Norman Berry Drive and Main Street — and said crews have performed “extensive flood events” work that has so far cost the city several million dollars. She told council the stormwater utility currently generates $2.3–2.8M annually and holds about $7.4M in reserves while staff estimate roughly $30M is needed for repairs and upgrades prioritized in the citywide assessment.

Council members pressed for specifics on how residents can seek help when sinkholes or collapses occur on private property. Echeverria said the city has an appeals and claim process: residents file a claim with the city clerk’s office or raise the concern at a council meeting, the claim is routed to the legal department and the stormwater crew performs an inspection that may include CCTV “televising” of the line and a review of plat records. She said outcomes vary: if the pipe or structure is privately owned and there is no easement, the owner is usually responsible; if a problem crosses multiple properties and has a community benefit the city may repair it, subject to property access and funding.

Echeverria also described the scope of assets the city must inspect and maintain to retain regulatory compliance: she cited an inventory of about 5,662 storm structures and stated the city must inspect about 100% of that infrastructure every five years under permitting obligations. She described roughly 1,200 parcels inside FEMA-designated floodplain areas and said only about 83 property owners participate in the National Flood Insurance Program in East Point; she also said the city has recorded about $741,000 in reimbursed repetitive-loss claims to date.

Council and staff discussed outreach options for floodplain residents; Echeverria said an interactive GIS tool is available on the water and sewer web page and that staff can mail certified notice to residents who request confirmation that a parcel lies inside the floodplain.

Echeverria emphasized the limits of municipal authority: many storm lines were installed on private property by developers and are privately owned; homeowners are not permitted to alter storm drains or dam flows without permits. She urged council to consider funding strategies and external assistance — for example, congressionally directed spending earmarks the city has sought — to address the large backlog of capital work.

Council members requested follow-ups including (1) clearer, public-facing documentation on the appeals/claim process and forms available through the city clerk; (2) a list of prioritized capital projects from the stormwater assessment with estimated costs and proposed funding sources; and (3) outreach to the roughly 1,200 floodplain parcels to improve enrollment in flood insurance programs and public awareness ahead of high‑water seasons.