Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Contact: Forrest Peterson, 320-214-3789 Toll-free: 1-800-657-3864 forrest.peterson@pca.state.mn.us St. Paul, Minn. - The city of Willmar's program to prevent stormwater pollution is available for public review and comment through Oct. 27, 2007. The program is required by a federal rule change in 2003 that broadens stormwater regulations to include more cities and smaller construction sites. The program is being administered in Minnesota by the Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Stormwater runoff is a leading source of water pollution and excess surface runoff to streams. Instead of percolating naturally through soils and recharging ground water, rainfall can be quickly deflected by roads, parking lots, roofs and other impervious surfaces. This can cause erosion of sensitive stream channels and loss of habitat needed by fisheries and their food web. Common pollutants in stormwater runoff include trash, bacteria, nutrients, pesticides, heavy metals, salt, sediment and fuels. Urban development substantially increases impervious surfaces, increasing runoff from city streets, driveways, parking lots, rooftops and sidewalks. From 1990 to 2000, the amount of impervious surface in Willmar increased from 20 percent to 26 percent. New development since then has increased that amount; however, in 1999 the city enacted an ordinance requiring new development to control runoff. City storm sewers are separate from sanitary sewers and do not drain into municipal wastewater treatment facilities. Stormwater runoff often does not receive treatment before discharging into lakes and streams. The new stormwater program aims to reduce, treat or recycle stormwater runoff with stormwater ponds, rain gardens or other urban stormwater management practices. Willmar, Marshall, St. Cloud, Marshall, Hutchinson, Waite Park, Sartell, Brainerd and New Ulm are among about 40 non-metro communities now required to have stormwater pollution prevention programs. Prevention programs must include six areas that combine to reduce the discharge of pollutants from storm sewer systems as much as possible:
· Public education and outreach
· Public participation and involvement
· Illicit discharge detection and elimination
· Construction site runoff control
· Post-construction runoff control
· Pollution prevention and good housekeeping
"Much of the overall success will depend on citizen involvement," says Randy Hukriede, manager of the MPCA's southwest region. "There are many ways individuals can help, from cutting back on lawn fertilizers to creating rain gardens that slow down and filter stormwater." The city has been looking for sites to create stormwater retention ponds. One is being developed adjacent to the new Wal-Mart store in the Water View Business Park in southeast Willmar. "The city has been encouraged to aggressively manage new development as well as begin a long-term retrofitting of existing urban areas to minimize the impact of stormwater runoff," says Bruce Wilson of the MPCA. "State and local agencies have been working on a plan to restore Grass Lake southeast of the Highway 23-71 bypass. In this regard, it will be important for Willmar to treat as much of its stormwater as possible prior to discharge to Grass Lake or Lake Wakanda." Willmar's stormwater pollution prevention program is available for review at the MPCA Willmar office, 1601 E. Hwy. 12, on the MPCA Web site at www.pca.state.mn.us/news/data/index.cfm?PN=1, or the city of Willmar Web site at www.ci.willmar.mn.us/menu/departments/pw/pw.htm. More information about the municipal stormwater program is available at www.pca.state.mn.us/water/stormwater/stormwater-ms4.html.