Preparing for the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Operations Audit can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Wouldn’t it be easier if you had a plan in place for staying current on training, records and documentation?
Let’s review typical preparation tasks associated with an MS4 Audit:
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Conduct municipal facility inspections and provide pollution prevention recommendations.
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Update Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP) for municipal facilities.
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Provide updated facility maps, routine inspection forms and site specific training checklists.
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Provide necessary training materials for facility employees, elected officials, administrative staff, seasonal employees and contractors.
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Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for municipal activities including: leaf collection, street sweeping, catch basin cleaning, shoulder and ditch stabilization, outfall scouring and waste recycling and disposal.
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Provide emergency spill procedures and chemical handling recommendations.
Answer the following questions to see how ready you are. Let us know if you need extra assistance or training to help prepare for the audit.
MS4 Maintenance Activities – Records Review
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Is there a tracking system in place?
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Do you have in-field inspection sheets?
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Do you have maintenance SOPs in place?
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Is a list of municipal owned and operated facilities complete?
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Has the facility SWPPP been reviewed and updated?
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Is there an employee training schedule in place?
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Are applications of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers tracked and documented?
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Is there a flood management program in place?
Stormwater Infrastructure Operation and Maintenance
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Is catch basin cleaning documented?
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Is management of stormwater structures in place?
Public Streets Operation and Maintenance
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Do you document street sweeping?
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Do you offer yard debris reduction and disposal?
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Do you document public streets, roads, and highway maintenance?
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Do you document deicing activity and keep records?
Flood Management
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Do you have an inventory of flood management structures (ponds)?
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Do you have an assessment of structures for retrofit?
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Do you document inspections of flood management structures?
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Do new projects include water quality design?
Public Facilities Operation and Maintenance
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Do you maintain a facility inventory?
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Do you document maintenance yard management?
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Do you document parks operation and maintenance?
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Do you document building operation and maintenance?
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Do you coordinate with WWTP on Sanitary Sewer System Maintenance, Overflow and Spill Prevention?
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Do you coordinate with water supply operation and maintenance?
Pesticide, Herbicide, and Fertilizer Application and Management
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Is there a program management plan in place? (Application Plan, IPM Program)
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Do all applicators have state certification?
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Have applicators also been trained in stormwater pollution prevention?
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Is there proper storage for all materials?
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Is there an educational program in place?
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Are BMPs during application in place and documented?
Employee Training and Public Education (On-going programs)
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Do you conduct and document municipal field employee training?
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Do you conduct and document municipal administrative employee training?
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Do you conduct and document seasonal employee training?
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Do you conduct and document new employee training?
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Do you conduct and document contracted employee training?
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Do you conduct and document elected officials training?
Source: http://indianams4.org/
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