Oklahoma City outlines scalable outreach strategy to meet Phase 2 MS4 educational requirements

Oklahoma City stormwater staff laid out a multi-pronged outreach program they say aligns with the state’s Phase 2 MS4 permit and can be scaled by other municipalities. Jordan Peebles, watershed planning and outreach supervisor for the city, described the permit requirements, current programs and metrics during a city webinar and answered attendee questions about technology and homeowner association outreach.

Peebles framed the permit goals from the 2021 OKR4 general permit around three actions: distribute information, promote behavior changes to reduce pollutants and illicit discharges, and inform and encourage active public participation. "How can you hope to engage the public if you're not actively engaging with the public?" she asked, urging a mix of passive channels (brochures, kiosks, bill inserts) and active programs (face‑to‑face events, training, volunteer cleanups) to meet the permit’s intent.

The stormwater division highlighted several programs that map to specific MCMs in the permit. For MCM 2 (industrial runoff) the city runs two‑day industrial workshops and a recognition program for facilities that adopt strong BMPs. For MCM 3…