Case Studies

Edmonds, WA: Transforming Stormwater Compliance with NPDESPro

Introduction

With a population of 43,000 residents, the city of Edmonds in Washington State is not only defined by its thriving community but also by its stunning natural features. Edmonds boasts 5 miles of pristine shoreline, with a view of The Puget Sound, which dominates the city's drainage basin, receiving a remarkable 86 percent of its stormwater runoff. When the city faced significant challenges in organizing and reporting their stormwater compliance data, NPDESPro transformed their processes, making compliance easier and more efficient.

Challenges

Before implementing NPDESPro, Edmonds struggled with several issues:

  • Data Organization: Compliance data was stored in messy and inconsistent Excel spreadsheets.

  • Time Consumption: Manually organizing and reporting data was time-consuming and prone to errors.

  • Historical Data Access: Lack of accessible historical data made tracking and understanding past activities difficult.

Patrick Johnson, Sr. Stormwater Engineering Technician, reflected on the situation: "When I took this position over about six years ago, one of my first tasks was to figure out the history of IDDEs. I opened the Excel document, and it was a mess. We didn't have any consistency or historical knowledge to understand what watersheds we looked at or specific outfall pipes. This changed all that”.

Implementation

  • Data Centralization: Edmonds transitioned from Excel spreadsheets to NPDESPro’s centralized system, eliminating data inconsistencies and improving efficiency.

  • Automated Reporting: Edmonds leveraged the software’s ability to generate reports for direct submission to their state Department of Ecology.

Results

1. Efficiency Improvement: The switch from spreadsheets to NPDESPro made data organization far more efficient. "First of all, it eliminates the spreadsheet disaster that it is. It's so much more efficient," noted Johnson.

2. Time Savings: Automated reporting saved significant time. "I just literally click a button in the XML file, and I can submit that schema right to ecology. It's unbelievably amazing in terms of saving me time," Johnson added.

3. Enhanced Organization: The ability to access and understand historical data improved. "I now have the ability to see which watersheds I'm revisiting over and over," highlighted Johnson.

Conclusion

The adoption of NPDESPro has been a game-changer for Edmonds’ stormwater compliance efforts. The software’s user-friendly interface, consistent data entry forms, and automated reporting capabilities have significantly improved efficiency and accuracy. "The thought that comes to mind using the software is, how come we didn't do this sooner? I think it’s true for everybody that works here, but we kind of become cheerleaders of the application because once you understand what it can do, it’s like, this can actually help people,” " Johnson reflected. "I believe I've only scratched the surface. I think there's way more to explore and get into with NPDESPro".

NPDESPro has proven to be an invaluable tool for Edmonds, simplifying their compliance efforts and reporting needs. "In a perfect world, we would all be technological geniuses, but that’s not how it works. I love how NPDES Pro is very user-friendly, from surface graphics to deeper functionalities. It's a good product. Who doesn't like to have their job made simpler?" Johnson concluded.

Irving, Texas: Making Compliance a Breeze with NPDESPro

Introduction

Centrally situated between Dallas and Fort Worth, Irving is home to over 240,000 residents and is known for being one of the most diverse cities in the nation. The city takes pride in its comprehensive stormwater management program, designed to protect the environment, improve storm and surface water quality, and ultimately enhance residents' quality of life.

To maintain and improve its surface water quality standards and better manage the city's stormwater permit, Irving acquired NPDESPro through its partner, SwiftComply. This software simplifies stormwater management by providing a web-based platform to document, track, and report on activities supporting the stormwater quality program, helping the city effectively manage its surface water quality and ensure ongoing community benefits."

Challenges

Before implementing NPDESPro, Irving struggled with several issues:

  • Audit Exposed Weaknesses: An audit conducted four years ago revealed significant weaknesses in Irving's stormwater management program. The process was manual and inefficient, relying on paper lists of inspections. Cody Cash, Municipal Drainage Utility Programs Supervisor, reflected, "It was literally two guys, and one of them just had a list on his paper of his inspections. So, we were able to leverage that audit as much as we could to change the organization."

  • Inefficient Paper-Based System: The industrial inspection program was bogged down by paper inspection reports, making it difficult to track compliance history and generate thorough reports with follow-ups and pictures. Jeffrey Shiflet, Irving’s Stormwater Compliance Coordinator, stated, "The backflow group recommended the program. We sat through a demo and found how much it would benefit the industrial inspection program by getting away from paper inspection reports and having a web-based database to perform our inspections."

  • Strained GIS Resources: The use of ArcGIS for tracking inspections was overloading the GIS team, causing frustration and inefficiencies. "It’s been really great to be able to just check all the sites and track all of our inspections without burning up a bunch of ArcGIS credits, which is what we were doing," noted Cash.

Implementation

  • Transition to Web-Based Database: Irving adopted NPDESPro’s web-based database for performing inspections, moving away from paper reports. This allowed for faster, easier access to compliance history and more thorough reporting.

  • Integrated Communication and Tracking: NPDESPro streamlined the inspection process and communication, ensuring notifications were consistently sent and received. This integration tied together inspections and facilitated better follow-up. "So even if they don’t read those notifications, I know they’re getting them and it’s easy to communicate that way through the application," Cash explained.

Results

  1. Simplified Audits: Irving’s most recent audit was significantly easier to manage than the audit 4 years ago. Cash commented, "I don't know what they were doing before, but we recently got audited again, and it was a really easy process for us to get through the audit and our auditor was very impressed with how easy it was to pull up files, go through the process of an inspection, communication, any violations, etc."

  2. Improved Inspection Efficiency: NPDESPro allowed Irving to check all sites and track inspections without overburdening the ArcGIS system, enhancing the efficiency of both the inspection process and the GIS team's workflow.

  3. Enhanced Compliance Management: By providing easy access to historical site data, NPDESPro enabled Irving to identify localized issues and expedite corrective actions based on past issues. "Being able to look at the history of the site and pinpoint areas of concern allows us to stay up to date on what other inspectors are seeing and helps us decide the level of enforcement needed," added Kale Oakley, Senior Environmental Compliance Inspector.

Conclusion

By transitioning to a web-based database, integrating communication and tracking, and simplifying the audit process, Irving has achieved greater efficiency and effectiveness in their stormwater program. As Shiflet noted, “We have been very pleased with this software. We spread the word to municipalities in our region on how this has improved our industrial program.” With NPDESPro, Irving is better equipped to maintain their high standards of water quality and compliance.

Newcastle, Washington: Streamlining Drainage Systems Using NPDESPro

Introduction

Consistently rated in the top 20 places to live in The United States, Newcastle, WA is home to about 13,000 citizens and renowned for its hiking trails and majestic views of nature, but the city also faces unique stormwater management challenges. The presence of dense vegetation often leads to debris clogging drainage systems, which can cause flooding and other issues. Additionally, the city's geological characteristics limit infiltration, resulting in higher-than-average surface runoff. To address these challenges, Newcastle needed an efficient and comprehensive stormwater management solution, which they found in NPDESPro.

Challenges

Before implementing NPDESPro, Newcastle's stormwater management team faced several issues:

  • Debris Clogging: Due to infrequent inspections and lack of accurate cleaning records, the city's trees and vegetation frequently clogged drainage systems with debris and roots, leading to flooding.

  • Data Management: The manual and inconsistent data management processes made it difficult to track inspections, cleanings, and overall system health.

  • Lack of Historical Knowledge: Lack of a centralized stormwater management system to store historical data led to inconsistent records of inspections and compliance efforts.

Implementation

Newcastle began using NPDESPro in 2019 to tackle these challenges. The city's stormwater management team integrated various modules of NPDESPro to streamline their operations. The key modules used included:

  • Sites and Structures: For managing inspections and maintenance of drainage systems.

  • IDDE (Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination): To identify and address illicit discharges.

  • Public Education: To engage and educate the community on stormwater management practices.

Results

1. Improved Data Management

NPDESPro's comprehensive data management capabilities enabled Newcastle to maintain accurate records of inspections, maintenance activities, and system health. Brian Miller, Newcastle’s Surface Water Program Manager noted, "By utilizing this tool and other tools, we're able to assess what the contamination levels are in certain catch basins and having those vactored out and cleaned every quarter." There was also the issue of access to historical inspection data. “We’ve had some challenges in the past having consistent historical knowledge. Two and a half years ago a lot of us started brand new, so I think we're all kind of feeling at a point where at least for me, where I've started to catch up on things.” said Alex Hurd, the Public Works Right of Way and Stormwater Management Inspector.

2. Enhanced Public Participation

The Public Education module allowed Newcastle to engage with the community effectively. "We do an event called Newcastle Days every year, and then we also did a talk this year at the library. It's nice to track those things, and at the end of the year, you know, getting the report that says what we've done is just cut and dry, which is nice.” Said Marley Kirkham, Surface Water Specialist.

3. Streamlined Inspections and Maintenance

NPDESPro helped Newcastle transition from random to scheduled inspections and cleanings. Miller explained, "We used to just do it randomly, and there were flooding problems going on as well, but now we seem to have it into a more regular schedule per quarter."

Conclusion

The adoption of NPDESPro has transformed Newcastle's stormwater management program, addressing key challenges and enabling the city to maintain a healthier and more efficient drainage system. By leveraging the historical data features of NPDESPro, Newcastle continues to make strides in improving water quality and engaging the community in environmental stewardship.

Puyallup, Washington: Mapping Out Success with NPDESPro

Introduction

Just 35 miles south of Seattle and home to The Washington State Fair, Puyallup is a bustling city of over 42,000 residents. The vast majority of stormwater runoff goes directly into the city's major water body, The Puyallup River, and the city has experienced some unique challenges in their stormwater management efforts, leading them to use NPDESPro to stay on top of their compliance goals.

Challenges

Before implementing NPDESPro, Puyallup struggled with several issues:

  • Data Disorganization: The tracking for private stormwater inspections was done manually through word documents, leading to confusion and inefficiency. Inspection reports were typed up, mailed, and often returned due to incorrect addresses.

  • Lack of Mapping: Puyallup did not have maps for their private stormwater infrastructure to send with reports. This caused issues with tracking inspections and made it difficult for recipients to follow the inspection reports.

  • Inefficient Follow-Ups: The manual and paper-based system led to lost track of inspection follow-ups, making it hard to stay on top of ongoing issues.

Puyallup Stormwater Engineer Kelton Parker elaborated on the challenges Puyallup faced before NPDESPro; “We knew that the new source control requirements were coming up, and we needed some sort of database to track all that information. So, the options were to either create our own access database and go that route or do something like NPDESPro. Our tracking for our private stormwater inspections was basically a word document, you type up your inspection report, fold it up, mail it, you have the wrong address and get sent back, and once we did a demo with NPDESPro, we just felt like since we didn’t have another database started for either of those programs, it was an easy decision for us because all of our data is kept in one place.”

Implementation

  • Centralized Database: Puyallup transitioned to using NPDESPro’s centralized system, which provided a single repository for all stormwater management data. This eliminated the need for separate databases or manual record-keeping.

  • Enhanced Mapping: NPDESPro enabled Puyallup to have a map of each private stormwater system to include with the inspection report for reference.

  • Automated Communication: With NPDESPro, Puyallup could use pre-set email templates for sending inspection reports, ensuring consistent and clear communication with recipients as well as records of correspondence.

Results

  • Improved Efficiency: The centralized database helped Puyallup organize their stormwater data more efficiently, reducing confusion and errors in tracking inspections.

  • Better Follow-Up: The ability to track and follow up on inspections improved significantly. Parker noted, "We've had a lot more success, I think, with going out initially and follow up visits and just being able to stay on top of it because in the past we would do the inspection and then because it was all paper, everything was kind of a mess and stuff would get returned, we would kind of lose track of where we were at in that process."

  • Streamlined Mapping: The use of NPDESPro’s mapping features simplified the creation and use of maps for inspections which can be seen by all inspectors, making it easier for both the city and inspection report recipients to understand and act on the data provided.

Conclusion

By centralizing data, enhancing mapping capabilities, and streamlining communication with NPDESPro, Puyallup has overcome many of the challenges they previously faced. Said Parker, “It’s been an overall improvement, which has helped us tackle and follow up on these issues that maybe in the past may have been forgotten about.” The city can now efficiently track, report, and follow up on stormwater inspections, ensuring better management and compliance with regulatory requirements.