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 (illicit discharge detection) OKC operates volunteer programs including Adopt‑a‑City‑Street and Waterway Clean Sweep, provides supplies and coordinates with streets and solid waste crews for sign installation and debris collection, and maintains public reporting options. MCM 4 (construction runoff) is supported through contractor and engineer workshops and enforcement training; MCM 5 (post‑construction) through public-facing projects such as a rain barrel sale and university partnerships; and MCM 6 through internal staff training and good‑housekeeping outreach.

Peebles presented performance metrics to illustrate the impact of active engagement: the stormwater team recorded 81 active outreach events in 2024 and 161 in 2025, and reported growth in youth participation from 914 in 2023 to more than 1,800 in 2024 and above 3,500 in the most recent year. She said an outreach contact metric rose from 5,778 in 2024 to roughly 8,000 in 2025 (the transcript number for 2025 was not precisely clear). The division also emphasized multi‑department coordination (parks and recreation, solid waste, streets, police outreach) and external partners such as the Central Oklahoma Stormwater Alliance (CASWA) for combined advertising and training resources.

The city also described its household hazardous waste (HHW) collection services. Peebles said the HHW center, open since 2023, serves residents through routine intake and special collection events that accept items such as tires, electronics, ammunition and medications in partnership with external recyclers and Oklahoma City Police Department for controlled materials. The webinar announced a special collection for OKC residents on Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On common implementation challenges, Peebles cited visibility in a large city, budget and staff constraints, internal silos across departments, and barriers faced by residents including limited internet access and low tech literacy. To address those barriers, she urged program designers to provide non‑digital options (handwritten surveys at events, printed materials), to simplify but not condescend in messaging, to use storytelling and visuals, and to pair problems with clear, actionable solutions.

During Q&A, attendees asked about new challenges since earlier outreach work and about engaging homeowners associations. Peebles reiterated technology and tech literacy as a central challenge and described generally positive experiences working with HOAs through established neighborhood alliances and mobile collection events. Holly Thorin, community relations coordinator, closed the webinar with instructions on certificates of attendance, links to webinar recordings, and a reminder that environmental concerns can be reported to OKC’s Action Center (by phone, email, text or Twitter/X). The city also promoted two upcoming webinars: a March session on compost as a stormwater control measure and a March session led by a student intern describing a net‑zero school project.

Next steps noted in the presentation include attending or promoting the contractor workshop (April 30) and registering for industrial workshops (May 12 or 13), partnering with CASWA for advertising and training support, and using the HHW center and special collections to reduce illegal dumping and illicit discharges. Peebles recommended starting small, leveraging existing city resources and partner networks, and scaling programs year to year to meet permit obligations.