USAG Alaska - Fort Wainwright
| DPW - Environmental

Compliance - Storm Water

Program Activity Documents

 

Storm Water Plan

 

Storm Water Permits

 

What is Storm Water Pollution?

Storm water is water from rain or snow melt that is not absorbed into the groundwater supply and allowed to flow over impervious surfaces collecting trash and pollutants which are then deposited into storm drains and eventually into our creeks, streams, and rivers without benefit of treatment.

What permits does Fort Wainwright operate under?

Fort Wainwright has recently been permitted by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) as a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4). As an MS4 permit holder, Fort Wainwright is required to develop, implement and track six Minimum Control Measures (MCMs) as outlined in the permit. MCM's are schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other management practices used to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States. Standard operating procedures for the six MCMs are documented in the Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP).

  • MCM 1: Public Education and Outreach on Storm Water Impacts
  • MCM 2: Public Involvement and Participation
  • MCM 3: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
  • MCM 4: Construction Site Storm Water Run-off Control
  • MCM 5: Post Construction Storm Water Management in New Development and Redevelopment
  • MCM 6: Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations

Another permit that is held by Fort Wainwright is the Multi-Sector General Purpose Permit (MSGP), which covers storm water discharges associated with industrial activities. Part of the MSGP permit states that storm water sampling must be conducted to verify that no pollutants are leaving the industrial sites. During rain events, Storm Water Technicians collect samples for visual assessment and then send them off to a lab for analysis. The samples are tested for specific metals depending on the industrial activity, and the concentrations of each. Along with sampling, Storm Water Technicians perform quarterly inspections of the industrial sites. During the inspections, structural and non-structural BMPs are assessed for effectiveness in protecting storm water from pollutants. All industrial activity descriptions, site maps, inspections, storm water monitoring and analytical results are captured in the installation's industrial Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWP3).

Construction activities also fall under the permit requirements of ADEC for those projects larger than 1 acre. For those smaller, the FWA MS4 requires an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan (ESCP). The Environmental Office and provide details on both of these requirements.

What is Low Impact Design and why is it important?

Fort Wainwright is in the process of adopting Low Impact Design (LID) into the installation design guide. LID focuses on best engineering practices that maintain the original hydrology of the area at pre-construction levels. LID techniques, such as rain gardens, permeable pavement, and vegetated swales, slows storm water run-off, allows storm water to percolate into the ground and/or provides natural filtering through landscaping before discharge into area water bodies. The idea behind LID is that an area should be able to retain and naturally filter storm water, preventing sediment and other pollutants from entering our creeks and streams.

Key information to take home:

One of the most important Minimum Control Measures is the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination initiative. An illicit discharge has been defined by Federal & EPA storm water regulations as "any discharge to an MS4 that is not composed entirely of storm water." Public education is critical for identification and reporting of illicit discharges, because the Storm Water Team relies on informed citizens to report potential pollution on the installation. An example of an illicit discharge would be a sewer leak or dumping waste materials directly into a storm drain. As required by the MS4 permit, Storm Water Technicians also perform dry weather monitoring at pre-selected points which represent watersheds, across the installation to detect potential illicit discharges as well as investigate suspect illicit discharges that are called in to the Storm Water Hotline. If an illicit discharge is detected, the technician will attempt to determine where the discharge originated and inform the appropriate entities to resolve the issue.

To report an illicit discharge, call the hotline at 907-361-9686.

The Storm Water Team tracks industrial, construction, and municipal activities to ensure compliance with both the MS4 and MSGP Permits. Education and prevention are the keys to success within the Storm Water program. It is everyone's responsibility to help protect our creeks and streams. Just get involved and keep an eye out for potential illicit discharges. For more information on illicit discharges or about the Storm Water program, please contact the Storm Water Manager at 907-361-9686.