The city of Two Rivers, Wisc., recently received an $85,000 grant which will fund 70 percent of its storm water suspended solids reduction campaign. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Runoff Management Nonpoint Source Pollution and Storm Water Management Program awarded Two Rivers the money.

The city will invest its grant in paying McMahon Associates, a Neenah firm, to investigate steps officials can take to help meet state storm water permit regulations, said City Manager Greg Buckley. Two Rivers must reduce discharged waters' suspended solids content by 20 percent no later than October 2008 and then by another 20 percent by October 2013, according to Buckley.

Street cleaning and storm water detention ponds have already helped Two Rivers reduce its solids by 14.2 percent, Buckley noted. The city boasts a few manmade storm water detention ponds, which are usually 5 or 6 ft deep and encourage the settling of pollutants at their bottoms.

While the DNR will not actually measure a municipality's storm water solids content, Buckley said, it will compute the expected effect of implementing certain measures through a software program.

McMahon Associates will analyze the costs of options including the construction of additional ponds and the purchasing of a vacuum street sweeper, which could cost approximately $185,000 plus operational costs, according to Buckley. Two Rivers' 13-member Storm Water Task Force, established earlier this year by city council members, will review options and recommend a plan of action to the council. Buckley estimates this will occur in January 2008, as storm water capital grant applications are due in March.

Source: Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter