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Committee approves software purchase to track culverts after April flooding; environmental staff cites new Illinois EPA permit requirements
Summary
Kane County authorized a $62,955.89 purchase of Medasoft LLC asset-management software to add stormwater asset tracking; Environmental Water Resources staff said revised Illinois EPA MS4 permit requirements require more frequent inspections and better documentation of drainage assets.
The Kane County Transportation Committee on May 19 authorized the Division of Transportation to purchase Medasoft LLC asset-management software and services for $62,955.89 to add a stormwater module for tracking culverts, detention basins and other drainage assets.
Rob Linke of Kane County Environmental Water Resources told the committee the Illinois EPA has updated MS4 permit requirements that increase the frequency and level of documentation for stormwater infrastructure inspections. "You can't manage what you don't inventory," Linke said. He said the updated permit makes more frequent inspections mandatory and that the software will allow the division to store digital photos and condition information over time, which will help detect progressive deterioration.
The software purchase was presented as a response to a recent April flooding event at Hops Road and Randall Road that revealed a failing culvert and sinkhole. Maintenance staff described closing Hops Road, performing a full culvert replacement and reopening the roadway later the same day with sheriff's office traffic assistance. Committee members asked whether the software would have provided an earlier warning about the failing culvert; staff said the system would allow condition photographs and inspection histories to be stored so trends could be reviewed over multiple inspection cycles.
Linke said the county's stormwater viewer and mapping already include township drainage assets and that the county offers that public mapping to townships, but the proposed Medasoft deployment is for the county DOT's asset management; townships would retain responsibility for their own maintenance records unless they choose to adopt a formal asset-management approach.
A motion to approve the software purchase was moved and seconded and carried on roll call. Committee members asked staff about enforcement pathways if the asset data show illicit discharges; Linke said the county would trace discharges upstream and use notices of violation, coordination with the county health department or other enforcement as appropriate.
