STORMWATER
Town of Signal Mountain


The U.S. Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972 with a stated objective to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's water through point source and non-point source controls. The method to achieve this restoration process is through the implementation of "Best Management Practices" (BMPs). An effective tool to achieve compliance with the Proposed Stormwater National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase I and Phase II Regulations is implementation of a Stormwater Utility. The NPDES program was created to insure that permitted discharges meet applicable water quality requirements. The Phase I and Phase II permitting process involves primarily urban communities of a specific size and population. Phase I of the process requires cities (100,000 population or greater) to secure a NPDES permit. The Phase II process requires smaller municipalities and other urbanized areas to secure a NPDES permit. The Town of Signal Mountain is required to comply with the requirements of the Phase II permitting process based on its size and population.

The Town of Signal Mountain decided to take a proactive approach to watershed management by addressing both Stormwater quantity and quality issues. The Town of Signal Mountain felt that the creation of a Stormwater Utility was one of the most important steps to take in order to ensure that the overall Stormwater Management Program could be successfully implemented. The Utility is an example of a nonstructural BMP that has been implemented for the sole purpose of generating revenues for stormwater related improvements.

Three key factors were considered in order to develop priorities. They are:
· The type of drainage issues to be addressed;
· What solutions must be done to address the issue, including financial, legal, and political obstacles; and
· The implementation steps and timing required for addressing drainage issues.

The program priorities focus on developing and implementing a comprehensive, cohesive approach to stormwater management, with emphasis on immediate attention to correct highly visible drainage issues throughout the Town of Signal Mountain.

The Town of Signal Mountain's fundamental goal is two fold: address water quantity and quality issues within the Town of Signal Mountain. The Town of Signal Mountain's program was designed to address stormwater runoff/management issues throughout the Town of Signal Mountain including culverts, ditches, detention ponds, water quality, and other associated drainage issues.

The Town of Signal Mountain is taking action to address the new regulatory requirements for the management of stormwater quality in the NPDES Phase II Regulations, including the use of BMPs to reduce pollutants from entering the stormwater system.

For more information about stormwater issues, click on the following links:
Town of Signal Mountain Stormwater Ordinance
Tennessee Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook

This page was last updated on Friday, October 7, 2005 .