Public Outreach for
Integrated Wastewater
and Stormwater
Planning
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Wastewater
Management
August 2017
EPA 830-R-17-003
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Community Team
Megan Moir, City of Burlington, Vermont
Steve Roy, City of Burlington, Vermont
Madison Quinn, Onondaga County, New York
Tom Rhoads, Onondaga County, New York
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Team
Emily Halter, U.S. EPA Office of Wastewater Management
Mohammed Billah, U.S. EPA Office of Wastewater Management
This report was developed under EPA Contracts EP-C-11-009 and EP-C-16-003.
Cover photos: Barry Tonning, Tetra Tech (top left, top right)
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning
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CONTENTS
1. Introduction .1
2. Public Outreach in Integrated Planning: Overview and Purpose 2
3. Approaches for Conducting Outreach Activities 3
3.1 Exploring the Characteristics of Stakeholder Audiences 3
3.2 Communicating with Stakeholders on Integrated Planning Topics 3
3.3 Educating Stakeholders 3
3.4 Building on the Experience and Expertise of Existing Programs 4
3.5 Continuing the Stakeholder Involvement Process 4
4. Resources for Public Outreach 5
5. Public Outreach Case Studies 6
5.1 City of Burlington, Vermont 6
5.1.1 Background 6
5.1.2 Public Outreach Activities 6
5.2 Onondaga County, New York. 9
5.2.1 Background 9
5.2.2 Public Outreach Activities 9
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning ii
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INTRODUCTION
Many communities face complex challenges
operating their wastewater and stormwater
infrastructure, including meeting Clean Water Act
(CWA) obligations under financial constraints.
Communities with multiple CWA obligations for
their wastewater treatment plants, sewer systems
and stormwater infrastructure must prioritize
their investments. In addition, they must evaluate
different approaches and options for improving
their systems, including gray, green and data
infrastructure investments.
Integrated planning is the process of systematically
identifying and prioritizing actions and projects
to meet CWA obligations. EPA released the
Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater
Planning Approach Framework1 to provide
guidance on developing integrated plans. The
framework identifies the operating principles and
essential elements of an integrated plan. It also
encourages communities to work with stakeholders
to identify and evaluate options to respond to
CWA requirements.
This report focuses on the essential element
of public outreach in the integrated planning
process. Two case studies illustrate this process.
The information in this report complements the
information provided in the companion document
Prioritizing Wastewater and Stormwater Projects
Using Stakeholder Input (EPA 830-R-17-002),
available at https://www.epa.gov/npdes/npdes-
integrated-planning-documents.
What's in This Document?
Section 1 provides an overview of public
outreach and its purpose in the context
of integrated planning.
Section 2 presents approaches for
conducting outreach activities to
support integrated planning.
Section 3 lists useful resources for public
outreach to stormwater and wastewater
planning stakeholders.
Section 4 provides case studies of
public outreach before and during
the integrated planning process, as
conducted in Burlington, Vermont, and
Onondaga County, New York.
1 For more information, visit http://www.epa.aov/npdes/intearated-
plannina-municipal-stormwater-and-wastewater.
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning 1
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2 PUBLIC OUTREACH IN INTEGRATED
PLANNING: OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE
Public outreach is an essential part of the
integrated planning process. Outreach allows
municipalities to:
Keep the public informed and engaged
regarding agency activities.
Communicate the value of the services that
stakeholders receive.
Tap into a reservoir of local knowledge and
experience to build better programs.
Create public buy-in for new or required
infrastructure investment expenditures.
Identify contentious, "showstopper" issues
before they become obstacles.
Outreach activities generally focus on building
awareness, providing educational information and
motivating action.
Outreach also opens channels of communication
so that municipalities can consider stakeholder
views in the development, implementation,
evaluation and modification of the integrated plan.
Stakeholders often need a wide range of technical
and other information on specific collection,
treatment, regulatory and other issues in order to
provide useful input on how projects and future
activities should be shaped.
Engaging key stakeholders is vital to understanding what's important to the local community.
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning 2
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3 APPROACHES FOR CONDUCTING
OUTREACH ACTIVITIES
Outreach approaches should take into account
the characteristics of the stakeholder audiences,
priorities and messages to be communicated,
and appropriate dissemination mechanisms.
Understanding stakeholder needs might require
some research (e.g., focus groups, surveys) on
stakeholders' perceptions of current agency
efforts, their values regarding potential future
actions, and how they view costs versus benefits
when it comes to water resources management.
3.1 Exploring the Characteristics of
Stakeholder Audiences
Communication needs are community-specific and
depend on the following considerations:
Who are the relevant community stakeholders?
In general, stakeholders can include other
government agencies in the community (e.g.,
planning, public works), representatives from
the business community, environmental and
conservation groups, neighborhood associations,
disadvantaged or low-income communities, and
local educational institutions.
How much do they know about the issues?
An integrated stormwater and wastewater plan
has many moving parts. In most cases, it will be
necessary to provide orientation and education for
stakeholders on the topics addressed in the plan.
What channels of communication are
appropriate? Communication mechanisms are
likely to vary depending on the stakeholder group
engaged. For example, emailed information
or updates might be appropriate for other
government agencies and organized public/
private sector groups, but may not be as effective
for neighborhood associations or disadvantaged
groups. Communication channels are highly varied,
and can include meetings, news media articles,
websites, social networking, newsletters and other
venues.
How can the views of others be considered in
the planning process and during implementation
of the plan? Planners have a variety of tools for
gathering and considering stakeholder views, such
as focus groups, online polls or surveys, feedback
from stakeholders at community meetings, and
input from specially convened multi-stakeholder
meetings.
3.2 Communicating with
Stakeholders on Integrated
Planning Topics
Communicating with stakeholders and soliciting
their input about water quality issues can be a
complex task. Planning that considers stakeholder
input is very much a two-way interaction, not
a one-way dispensing of information. The
knowledge, perceptions and values of stakeholders
play a large role in how they will view planning
approaches and evaluate proposed projects.
Allocating the time and resources to cultivate
this sort of bilateral communication, mutual
understanding and education is vital to the
planning process.
3.3 Educating Stakeholders
Stakeholders often need clear information and
education on issues connected to the planning
process. For example, communities can provide
outreach to orient groups on:
Applicable use designations and water quality
criteria for the receiving water(s).
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning 3
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Stressors and sources associated with any
waterbody impairments or threats.
The operational history and current issues
associated with the wastewater treatment
plant(s),
The permit requirements, infrastructure and
activities of the stormwater program.
Providing information on these topics fosters a
common understanding on the past history current
status and future challenges faced in the community
and watershed.
3.4 Building on the Experience and
Expertise of Existing Programs
Stormwater and wastewater programs often have
existing outreach initiatives that can be leveraged to
support an integrated planning effort.
Stormwater programs, for example, might have an
established outreach program to raise awareness
of sanitary sewer overflows and other non-
stormwater discharges to waterbodies, as well
as the impacts to surface waters from polluted
stormwater runoff. Other common stormwater
program outreach material typically covers keeping
leaves, litter, waste and other materials out of
the storm drains and picking up and properly
disposing of pet waste. Wastewater collection
and treatment programs might conduct outreach
to targeted groups on technical challenges (e.g.,
industrial pretreatment program; fats, oil and grease
programs) or construction activities (e.g., major
sewer infrastructure projects).
Bringing these existing outreach efforts together
under an integrated planning framework can help
municipalities make the most of their experience;
resources; and engineering, technical and field
operations capabilities,
3.5 Continuing the Stakeholder
Involvement Process
Outreach is an ongoing process, and it is important
to continue to execute an outreach strategy even
after a plan is developed. During the implementation
phase of an integrated plan, communities should
communicate information relevant to project
and initiative status, as well as bring to light any
challenges encountered or overcome during the
process. A continuing outreach approach will keep
lines of communication open with stakeholders and
provide opportunities for meaningful input that can
benefit the evolution of the integrated plan and its
implementation. Keeping a finger on the pulse of
stakeholders and the public can also help identify
early warning signs for issues that might emerge as
new projects and programs are started.
The Onondaga Earth Corps is an established public
engagement group that involves local youth in activities
such as building and maintaining stormwater infiltration
facilities around Syracuse, New York. Barry Tonning, Tetra
Tech
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning
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4 RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC OUTREACH
The following EPA resources provide information for planning and
conducting public outreach and engagement activities to support
integrated wastewater and stormwater planning.
Getting in Step: A Guide for Conducting Watershed Outreach
Campaigns (EPA 841-B-10-002) provides an organized., structured
approach for communicating with stakeholders: The approach is
based on:
Defining the driving forces, goals and objectives of the outreach
effort.
Identifying and analyzing the target audience.
Creating a message that supports the objective and resonates
with the audience.
Packaging the message for distribution to the target audience.
Distributing the message.
Evaluating results.
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Getting
In Step
A Guide for
Conducting
Watershed
Outfeach
Campaigns
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EPA's guide for conducting
public outreach and
educational activities is
widely used to support a
variety of regulatory and non-
regulatory programs.
Getting in Step: Engaging Stakeholders in Your Watershed
(EPA 841--B-11-001) provides tools to effectively engage stakeholders
to restore and maintain healthy environmental conditions through
community support and cooperative action. It presents guidance on:
Stakeholders and watershed management.
Getting started.
Outreach and communication tools.
Building the stakeholder group.
Keeping the ball rolling.
Beyond the stakeholder group.
Resources for more information.
SEPA
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Engaging Stakeholders
In Your Watershed
This guide describes how
stakeholder involvement
enhances communication,
cooperation and shared
responsibility.
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning 5
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5 PUBLIC OUTREACH CASE STUDIES
5.1 City of Burlington, Vermont
5.1.1 Background
Buriington is the largest municipality in Vermont,
with a population of 42,000. It is located on the
shores of Lake Champlain.
The city operates three wastewater treatment
plants (WWTPs). The National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (NPDES) permits for each of
the three WWTPs provide phosphorus effluent
limitations, with the north and east plants currently
set at 0.8 milligrams per liter and the main plant
set at 0.6 milligrams per liter. These limits are
dictated by a local total maximum daily load
(TMDL) for phosphorus.
Most of the community is served by combined
sewers, which convey both wastewater and
stormwater. There were efforts in the 1980s and
during 2010-2012 to eliminate and/or bring many
of the combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharge
locations into compliance with the Vermont CSO
policy The city currently has only a few remaining
CSO outfalls. Basement backups have been on the
rise recently due to increasing frequency of intense
storms.
Buriington operates a municipal separate storm
sewer system (MS4) in portions of the city that
are not connected to the combined sewer system.
The current NPDES permit for discharges from the
MS4 requires the city to develop and implement
restoration plans for stormwater-impaired
watersheds to maintain compliance with a bacterial
TMDL wasteload allocation for Englesby Brook., a
tributary to Lake Champlain. Further, EPA recently
revised the Lake Champlain phosphorus TMDL.
which wili result in more stringent regulatory
requirements for Burlington.
Buriington has both separate and combined sewer areas.
City of Burlington
The city has created a stormwater utility that
provides a sustainable funding source for
stormwater management; it expects substantial
rate to meet the revised Lake Champlain TMDL
and provide further program enhancements.
Going into the integrated planning process,
the city was aware that a primary focus of the
integrated plan would be phosphorus reduction at
the Main Plant WWTP.
5.1.2 Public Outreach Activities
Burlington developed an outreach plan to 1)
raise awareness and educate the public about
the possibility of developing an integrated plan
and 2) collect stakeholders' views on water
quality wastewater treatment and stormwater
management.
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning 6
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The outreach and involvement plan was
implemented through a tiered approach that
targeted different activities to different stakeholder
groups (see Table 1 for details). Highlights from the
tiered activities included:
Distribution of information through a webinar,
in-person presentations, website postings and
other venues.
Convening of two stakeholder groups.
Presentation of an informational webinar for the
public and targeted stakeholders.
Solicitation of stakeholder input via an
online poll targeting the general public and
neighborhood groups.
Solicitation of stakeholder input through a
facilitated meeting of internal and external
stakeholder group representatives.
A meeting with city officials to present the
stakeholder input and discuss next steps.
The stakeholder input was used to develop a
wastewater/stormwater project evaluation tool.,
which is discussed in more detail in the report
Prioritizing Wastewater and Stormwater Projects
Using Stakeholder Input,
Stakeholder meeting in Burlington. Identifying, orienting
and soliciting input from stakeholders enriches the planning
process. Barry Tonning, Tetra Tech
The City of Burlington reached out
to a wide variety of stakeholders,
including:
BLUE(r)
Burlington Board of Health
Burlington Community Economic
Development Office
Burlington Conservation Board
Burlington Department of Planning and
Zoning
Burlington Department of Public Works
Burlington Planning Commission
Burlington Public Works Commission
Champlain College
Conservation Law Foundation
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center,
Leahy Center for Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce
Lake Champlain Committee
Lake Champlain Sea Grant
Private consultants
State Representative
Vermont Department of Environmental
Conservation, Watershed Management
Division
Vermont State Legislators
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning
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Table 1. Outreach Plan for Integrated Planning in Burlington, Vermont
Audience
Activities
Score
INITIAL
OUTREACH
General public
All groups and partners
Website on project (FAQs, etc.)
Mass email to all groups and partners
News media coverage of stormwater issues
and overall project
Webinar on multi-criteria decision-making
Late April-June
TIER 1
OUTREACH
Neighborhood planning associations
General public
Online poll to 1) ascertain knowledge of
stormwater issues and 2) prioritize general
wastewater, stormwater and water quality
issues (flooding, basement backups, sewer
overflows, clean lakes, etc.).
City-hosted tours of Main WWTP and
stormwater green infrastructure
Late June
INTERMEDIATE
OUTREACH
General public
All groups and partners
Community TV featureinterview and
webinar re-broadcast
Feature in Front Porch Forum (online
network for Vermont residents)
News media coverage of online poll results
and project activities
Ongoing connections to webinar and poll
via social mediaFront Porch Forum,
Twitter and Facebook
July-August
TIER 2
OUTREACH
NGOs:
Vermont Natural Resources
Council
Conservation Law Foundation
Lake Champlain International
Lake Champlain Committee
Lake Champlain Basin Program
VATS
City of Burlington:
Department of Planning/Zoning
Planning Commission
Community and Economic
Development Office
Department of Parks and
Recreation
Burlington Conservation
Commission
Transportation, Energy and
Utilities Committee
City Council
Public Works Commission
Mayor's office/Chief Financial
Officer
Department of Public Works
Meeting on project evaluation parameters
and how they might be used
Stormwater orientation
Online criteria prioritization and weighting
poll
September
TIER 3
OUTREACH
City of Burlington Public Works
Commission
City of Burlington Department of
Public Works
Vermont Department of
Environmental Conservation
EPA Region 1
Meeting on finalizing and using project
evaluation criteria (input used to finalize
project evaluation criteria and apply them
to capital and other projects)
October-
November
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning 8
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5.2 Onondaga County, New York
5.2.1 Background
Onondaga Lake is the receiving water for most
stormwater and wastewater discharges in New
York's Onondaga County. Once known as one of the
most polluted lakes in North America, Onondaga
Lake is now on the road to recovery.
Over the past 20 years, the Onondaga Lake
Partnership, made up of local, state and federal
partners, has worked to improve the water quality
of the lake. Its activities have included improving
wastewater treatment at the main Metropolitan
WWTP; reducing CSOs; improving management
of industrial facilities; cleaning up hazardous waste
sites; installing groundwater separation barriers;
restoring targeted shoreline and aquatic habitat
areas; and ensuring better management of polluted
runoff from urban, residential and agricultural
areas, About 95 percent of CSO flows have been
eliminated. In addition, the county's landmark "Save
the Rain" program has funded more than 175 green
infrastructure projects over the past six years.
Current pollutant sources include sediment from
mudboils,2 stormwater impacts from urbanized
areas, nutrient runoff from agricultural operations,
remaining CSOs, remediation of remaining waste
sites, and effluent quality at the main Metropolitan
WWTP,
5.2.2 Public Outreach Activities
Onondaga County began exploring an integrated
planning approach in 2014 with robust stakeholder
input. The county opted for a focused outreach
and involvement approach due to the size of the
jurisdiction and the number of issues at play.
The county conducted phone interviews to seek
input from key stakeholders. Those contacted
included the staff of the Save the Rain program,
* ^Mudboils are composed of wtter, liquefied sediments and dissolved
m ineral salts that: bubble up through yents in thg Earth's surfa
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Headquarters, EPA Region 2, and the New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation
(Headquarters and Region 7).
The attendees discussed activities that might be
included in the scope of an integrated wastewater
and stormwater plan for the county, such as:
Major upgrades to existing wastewater
treatment plants.
Continued efforts to reduce stormwater volume
in the combined sewer area.
Support for stormwater treatment in the MS4
areas.
Integration of stormwater management
activities by the multiple MS4s in the county.
Extension of Save the Rain grants to farm sector
sediment and nutrient control practices.
Onondaga Lake is the birthplace of the Haudenosaunee
(Iroquois) confederacy, and home to one of its five original
tribes, Onondaga County
Discussions focused on recommending potential
adjustments to the phosphorus TMDL to allow more
flexibility for nutrient trading. Further discussion
addressed the potential for a more integrated,
consistent approach to stormwater management in
the county.
The latter part of the agencies forum was devoted
to prioritizing weighting factors and assigning
them to criteria that might be used in future
evaluations of wastewater, stormwater and water
resource management projects in the county. More
information on using evaluation criteria to rank
projects, including the process used in Onondaga
County, is provided in the report Prioritizing
Wastewater and Stormwater Projects Using
Stakeholder Input.
Onondaga County "Save the Rain" storm drain inlet
medallion in downtown Syracuse. Barry Tonning, Tetra Tech
Public Outreach for Integrated Wastewater and Stormwater Planning 10
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