BMPs are measures that reduce or eliminate pollutant discharges to the storm drain system. BMPs commonly fall into three categories:
Administrative BMPs:
- Provide stormwater BMP training to employees
- Conduct regular facility self-inspections to monitor for prohibited non-stormwater discharges or conditions
- Utilize your existing facility, or design your new facility, to minimize the threat to stormwater quality from your activities. If necessary, you may need to conduct activities that are not compatible with your facility (for example, commercial vehicle washing if you don't have a wash rack, or other means to contain, collect, and properly dispose of vehicle washing wastewater) at an offsite commercial facility.
- Consider the weather when you plan outdoor activities. You should not conduct pollutant-generating activities outdoors when it is raining or when rain is forecasted, as stormwater contact with the pollutants would be more likely to occur.
Source Control BMPs:
Treatment Control BMPs (install and maintain):
- On-site storm drain inlet protection devices, such as appropriately-selected storm drain filter inserts
- Vegetative swales, sand filters, and bioretention devices
- Stormwater treatment vaults
- Detention basins
All treatment control BMPs require regular inspection and maintenance to ensure proper operation.
BMPs should be considered and implemented in the above order: administrative, source control, and then treatment control. Implementing BMPs in this order is the most cost effective and does the best job of protecting stormwater quality. Administratively eliminating pollution sources will almost always be the best solution. Using source control BMPs to eliminate pollutant sources prior to polluting stormwater runoff should be your next option. Your last option is to treat stormwater runoff in an effort to remove pollutants. Treatment is likely the most expensive and often least effective way to go. Treatment control should be a part of your overall stormwater pollution prevention strategy as a last and final effort to remove pollutants that could not feasibly be addressed through administrative and source control BMPs. Treatment control BMPs should not be used as stand alone BMPs.
- Fix car leaks right away