News | National Stormwater Trust

Stormwater Nutrient Credit Program Offers Flexibility

You’ve decided that stormwater credits will benefit your project. Now what?

To maximize design flexibility for its partners, National Stormwater Trust has created the Stormwater Nutrient Credit market, enabling public and private developers to meet a portion of their stormwater treatment requirements by purchasing credits generated off-site.

This is also known as compensatory treatment. Similar to mitigation, this allows one location to be undertreated, while overtreating nearby in a way that doesn’t contribute to a water quality violation in the receiving water or watershed. If this sounds similar to wetland mitigation, the concept is similar.

Mark Thomasson, P.E. Executive Vice President at National Stormwater Trust, recently shared during a statewide webinar, that the process for receiving stormwater credits is as simple as:

• Determining if credits are available in your basin,
• Determining how many credits are needed,
• Verifying availability, and
• Purchasing credits.

NST is providing two exclusive opportunities for developers to gain more insight into the Stormwater Nutrient Credit program:

Book an appointment for a one-on-one conversation to ask questions specific to your project, and
Schedule a “Lunch and Learn” to help you and your leadership team better understand the stormwater nutrient credit process.

Over the coming months, NST will also provide additional webinar opportunities to dive deeper into the benefits of off-site stormwater treatment and Regional Stormwater Management Systems.

Hurricane Resilient Babcock Ranch Doubles Down on Smart Stormwater Ponds

With the start of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season on the minds of many Floridians, southwest Florida community Babcock Ranch recently highlighted its “Resilient by Design” approach to continued community development. Babcock Ranch founder Syd Kitson delivered comments on his strategic vision while National Stormwater Trust was there to highlight our continued efforts to deliver Smart Pond technology to this visionary resilient community.

One community in Charlotte County, Babcock Ranch, was mostly unharmed by the flooding, protected in part by smart stormwater management technology that has changed the way stormwater is managed. Thanks to real-time flood forecasting capability of existing NST Smart Ponds, Babcock Ranch water managers and leaders had assurance that its large lakes had adequate storage to contain Hurricane Ian’s stormwater and protect the community’s homes, roadways and school.

Building on the resiliency success of Smart Pond technology at Babcock Ranch, the community is now doubling down on its smart stormwater management by installing additional Smart Ponds, and incorporating the technological functionality allowing water managers, in coordination with the water management district, to proactively lower lake water levels in advance of a large storm. These remotely-operable stations will benefit both Babcock Ranch and neighboring communities by expanding flood water storage capacity to capture even more runoff from larger storms.

“Until last September, we were known as America’s first solar-powered town. But then came Hurricane Ian, and our focus shifted from renewable energy and sustainability to resiliency,” said Kitson. “Ian put all that preparation, all that hard work and planning, everything, to the ultimate test. Our latest efforts to further fortify the community are a testament to our incredible team of partners that has factored storm safety into every element of the community to ensure our residents’ safety.”

While the primary focus for National Stormwater Trust is on improving water quality, when a storm the size of Hurricane Ian threatens Florida, their objective shifts to protecting communities and the environment from the flooding impacts of stormwater.

National Stormwater Trust is proud to be a partner with Babcock Ranch.

NST TEAM SPOTLIGHT: Meet Capt. John Ferguson, USN-Ret., President & COO

We are very proud of the rich backgrounds and experience brought to the smart stormwater industry by our team at NST. One team member in particular, NST President and COO Capt. John Ferguson (USN-Retired), was recently appointed to represent the Muscogee Creek Nation at the ship construction steel-cutting ceremony for the future USNS Muscogee Creek Nation at Bollinger Mississippi Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss.

The vessel is the 10^th Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) and the fifth T-ATS vessel being constructed by Bollinger since acquiring the program in April 2021. The Navajo-class provides oceangoing tug, salvage, and rescue capabilities to support fleet operations and are tasked with coming to the aid of stricken vessels. Their general mission capabilities include combat salvage, lifting, towing, retraction of grounded vessels, off-ship firefighting, and manned diving operations.

Named for the Muscogee Creek Nation, the ship honors the self-governed Native American tribe located in Okmulgee, Okla.

WEBINAR: New Stormwater Rule Provisions for Offsite/Compensatory Treatment

Click Here to Register for Webinar

Jeff Littlejohn, Florida water expert and former Deputy Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, will lead a webinar focused on how new stormwater rule provisions for offsite/compensatory treatment may impact you and projects you are involved in. Whether you are in engineering, development, public works, transportation, or water resources, these webinars will have something for you.

NST Announces New Webinar Series

The Florida stormwater industry is headed in a new direction, supporting needed benefits to water quality and flood resiliency, and fueled by innovations in technology and regulations. The professional staff at National Stormwater Trust will host a series of webinars over the coming months to discuss these important issues. Whether you are in engineering, development, public works, transportation, or water resources, these webinars will have something for you.

Future Webinars Will Focus On:

Permitting CMAC/Smart Pond Best Management Practices using the Alternative Design Provisions of the Applicant’s Handbook
Planning and permitting development using Stormwater Nutrient Credits

Be on the lookout for those forthcoming webinar dates.

ENGINEERING TIP OF THE MONTH: Incorporating Stormwater Nutrient Credits into Site Development Design

By: Mark Thomasson, P.E., Chief Stormwater Engineer

We’re often asked about how to maximize design flexibility using Stormwater Nutrient Credits (SNCs) to meet system requirements for stormwater management facilities that control both water quantity and water quality.

We recognize that land and opportunity costs constitute a majority of losses in stormwater management, and that’s why more and more civil engineers are turning to off-site stormwater treatment alternatives to optimize their designs.

To maximize design flexibility for its customers, National Stormwater Trust (NST) created the SNC market to enable public and private developers to meet a portion of their stormwater treatment requirements by purchasing credits generated in an off-site Regional Stormwater Management Systems (RSMS).

In a typical 10-acre commercial development in Orange County, the gross land cost is about $7.5 million. The cost of a conventional wet pond is about $0.5 million, including construction and the present value of 30 years of maintenance costs. The opportunity cost of the 1.2 acres occupied by the wet pond is about $0.9 million. (NOTE: The average cost of commercial real estate in Orange County is about $750,000 per acre.)

How can SNCs be applied to this scenario to benefit the development? In this example, the required water quality treatment is 0.83 ac-ft for 1” of treatment over the 10-acre site. This quantity of treatment (0.83 ac-ft or the equivalent treatment converted into pounds or kilograms of nitrogen per year) can be provided in a permitted RSMS in the same watershed. The purchase and transfer of SNCs from a regional facility to the development can result in significant cost savings to the development, while providing an equivalent amount of water quality treatment in a regional facility that is professionally maintained. In this example, the cost of the SNC would be about $625,000, and the savings to the developer would be about $800,000 (eliminating direct costs and lost land value).

Here’s how the permitting works: To use an SNC, you must secure a reservation in a permitted regional facility with available credits and provide evidence of the availability of the credit to your permit reviewer. The more convenient way to do that is to request a Credit Reservation Letter from NST. In that letter, NST will outline the quantity reserved (in acre-feet or pounds/year), and the permitted facility where the SNC is being generated. This documentation provides reasonable assurance to your permit reviewer and simplifies your permit process. Simply put, the Reservation Letter replaces the on-site water quality treatment in your permit.

Prior to the start of construction, NST will transfer the SNC to your permit through a letter modification to its regional facility. Evidence of that permitted transfer will be provided to complete the purchase.

If this sounds similar to using a wetland mitigation credit in lieu of permittee-responsible mitigation, that’s because this program is designed to work the same way. It’s a one-time purchase, and the stormwater treatment requirement is transferred from your development to an NST-operated regional treatment facility.

NST will proactively manage the collection, storage, and discharge of stormwater in its facilities. NST-managed stormwater facilities use Continuously Monitored and Adaptive Control (CMAC) technology to improve treatment performance and reduce flooding by controlling water levels and increasing the storage capacity of the facilities by drawing down water levels prior to forecasted rainfall. NST’s Smart Ponds are about 50 percent more effective in treating stormwater than conventional facilities and enable verification of water treatment performance in real time.

NST Has Access to 2,600+ FDOT Stormwater Ponds

Through an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation, NST converts conventional FDOT stormwater ponds into regional Smart Ponds that generate Florida government-approved SNCs.

NST offers its SNC customers the one-stop convenience of long-term stormwater compliance and the knowledge that NST is providing state-of-the-art stormwater technology and scientific and financial resources to provide green infrastructure solutions to Florida.

We Have Stormwater Nutrient Credits Available

Does your community or project need a stormwater pond? To maximize design flexibility for its partners, National Stormwater Trust has created the Stormwater Nutrient Credit (SNC) market, a first-of-its-kind trading program that allows public and private developers to meet a portion of their stormwater treatment requirements by purchasing credits generated off-site.

DYK: Stormwater Nutrient Credits Can Help Your Development and the Environment

National Stormwater Trust (NST) proactively manages the collection, storage, and discharge of stormwater utilizing real-time data in a wireless, automated operating system. Also called “Smart Ponds,” NST-managed stormwater facilities utilize Continuously Monitored and Adaptive Control (CMAC) technology to improve treatment performance and reduce flooding by controlling water levels and increasing the storage capacity of the facilities by drawing down water levels prior to forecasted rainfall. CMAC-equipped stormwater facilities are about 50 percent more effective in treating stormwater than conventional facilities and enable verification of water treatment performance in real time.

Through an agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), NST converts conventional FDOT stormwater ponds into regional Smart Ponds that generate Florida government-approved Stormwater Nutrient Credits (SNCs). NST offers the one-stop convenience of long-term stormwater compliance for developers seeking to purchase SNCs, and the knowledge that NST is providing the latest state-of-the-art stormwater technology and scientific and financial resources to provide green infrastructure solutions to Florida.

Purchasing SNCs is almost always more cost effective than 100 percent onsite stormwater compliance for construction projects, and can reduce the space required for stormwater management onsite. The additional space can be used for other purposes.

National Stormwater Trust has a limited amount of Stormwater Nutrient Credits available immediately in the Tampa Bay Watershed and has access to thousands of additional FDOT stormwater ponds across Florida to generate credits and meet your smart stormwater management needs. Bring the future of stormwater management to your project with regional Smart Ponds that improve water quality and flood protection resiliency in Florida communities.

For more information about National Stormwater Trust, to purchase Stormwater Nutrient Credits, or to talk to us about building a credit-generating project on your property, please contact: Jeff Littlejohn at jml@nationalstormwater.com

Will New Stormwater Rule Be Ratified by Lawmakers?

On March 22, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) hosted a Public Hearing on its Proposed Rule where it discussed four Lower Cost Regulatory Alternatives and listened to about two and half hours of public testimony. On Friday, March 24, the FDEP issued a Notice of Change to the rule. Along with some minor edits, the Notice of Change included two key modifications that warrant discussion.

First, the FDEP expanded the “grandfathering provisions” of the Proposed Rule to allow projects with existing Conceptual ERPs to continue to rely on current stormwater requirements through the remaining phases of construction. This approach is consistent with prior revisions of stormwater regulations, including the most recent change to the Statewide ERP in 2013.

Second, the FDEP modified the post-development treatment requirements in Section 8.3 of the Applicant’s Handbook Volume I. Specifically, the “baseline” post-development treatment performance standard of 80% TN annual average load reduction was changed to 55%. For OFWs, the 95% TN standard was changed to 80%, and the 95% TP standard was changed to 90%. For impaired waters, non-OFW and OFW waters were split into different performance categories. The new post-development treatment performance standards for impaired/non-OFW waters are 80% TN and 80% TP. For impaired/OFW waters, the standards are 95% TN and 95% TP. The remaining performance standards were unchanged, including the “pre-post” development loading standards and the application of basin-specific performance criteria from adopted TMDLs.

The Notice of Change started a new 21-day public comment period, which expires April 14. After the public comment period closes, the proposed rule will still require legislative ratification prior to it becoming effective. The Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost appears to be largely unchanged. Unless there is a rule challenge, there is still potentially a path to completion this session.

National Stormwater Trust, Inc. appreciates all of the hard work that FDEP staff, the TAC members, and all stakeholders have invested in this rule over the last two years.

For additional updates, please follow National Stormwater Trust on LinkedIn. For details about the Proposed Rule and how it might impact your current or future project, contact Mark Thomasson, P.E., LEED AP or Jeff Littlejohn, P.E. at NST.

National Maritime Executives Learn About Florida ‘Smart Ponds’

Seaport executives, energy leaders and environmental experts gathered in Tampa Bay for the inaugural summit of the American Association of Port Authorities Port Opportunities with Energy, Resilience and Sustainability (POWERS) summit for a deeper dive on emerging sustainability solutions in the port industry.

Florida stormwater and water resources expert Jeff Littlejohn took center stage during the summit to share how National Stormwater Trust (NST) is helping Florida seaports improve water quality while also protecting against flooding with smart stormwater management technology.

In Florida, resiliency is key to protecting seaports.

Sunshine, beaches and low taxes often attract new residents and visitors to Florida, but this southern, peninsular state also receives some of the nation’s most extreme weather events. From heat to raging hurricanes like Hurricane Ian, extreme weather events are a threat that stretches from Florida’s sandy white beaches to the global supply chain.

Understanding that seaports are the gateway for America’s economy, many Florida seaports have seized upon opportunities to further strengthen their resiliency against extreme weather events, and they’re doing so while ensuring that nearly 100 percent of their available land can continue to be used to meet the unprecedented expansion of containerized cargo calling on these ports.

For example, Port Tampa Bay, JAXPORT, SeaPort Manatee, and Port Canaveral, all members of the Florida Ports Council, have teamed up with NST to utilize Smart Pond stormwater technology to improve water quality and flood protection.

Here’s how it works: a Smart Pond is connected to live weather forecast data and uses that information to control valves to lower its water level before a storm arrives. While the sun is still shining, it can drain itself to increase its flood storage capacity.

“During Hurricane Ian, the water level in our National Stormwater Trust Smart Pond was automatically lowered by almost four feet before the first hurricane bands began to impact the region. That extra storage enabled the capture of over 175,000 cubic feet of untreated stormwater, preventing its discharge into the neighboring community and nearby Tampa Bay,” said Paul Anderson, CEO, Port Tampa Bay.

Port Tampa Bay Secures Second ‘Smart Pond’

With port executives from around the country attending the American Association of Port Authority (AAPA) Port Opportunities with Energy, Resiliency and Sustainability (POWERS) summit at host seaport Port Tampa Bay, National Stormwater Trust, Inc. revealed the recent installation of a second Smart Pond to further strengthen water quality and flood protection near the port and Tampa Bay.

Resilient and sustainable, Smart Ponds allow seaports to protect the environment from untreated stormwater and shield against extreme weather events, while also ensuring that nearly 100 percent of a port’s available land can be dedicated to meeting expansion demands for cargo calling on ports.

“Seaports are the gateway for America’s economy, and resilient, green infrastructure that protects America’s ports is essential,” said Jeff Littlejohn, P.E., Co-Founder of National Stormwater Trust (NST). “Port Tampa Bay is leading by example and embracing the future of stormwater management with two Smart Ponds that are improving water quality while also providing flood protection.”

Installed at the beginning of January, the second Smart Pond is located near Port Tampa Bay on State Road 676. It joins Port Tampa Bay’s first Smart Pond, installed near the entrance of Port Tampa Bay on South 22^nd Street last June. The first Smart Pond quickly demonstrated its value, successfully capturing more than 175,000 cubic feet of stormwater during Hurricane Ian, reducing flooding in neighborhoods and businesses surrounding Port Tampa Bay and preventing this untreated runoff from flowing into Tampa Bay.

The inaugural Smart Pond at Port Tampa Bay was recently awarded an Environmental Stewardship Award from the Florida Recycling Partnership for its protection of preventing untreated stormwater from flowing into Tampa Bay during Hurricane Ian.

Here’s how NST’s Smart Ponds work: They use real-time weather forecasting and automated control system from OptiRTC to lower water levels before a storm arrives. While the sun is still shining, a Smart Pond can drain itself to increase its flood storage capacity. A Smart Pond is also in constant communication with professional stormwater managers and can even be remotely controlled. These innovations result in dramatic improvements to water quality treatment and flood protection performance.

NST Smart Ponds have been installed at Florida Department of Transportation Ponds as part of a multi-year program to improve stormwater management across Florida. NST has also installed Smart Ponds for the award-winning Babcock Ranch, and Smart Ponds are in development at JAXPORT, Port Canaveral and The Villages, among other locations.

New Stormwater Rules in Florida’s Near Future

New stormwater rules aimed at reducing the impact of nutrient pollution in Florida’s waterways are on the horizon, and they’re the most significant stormwater rules in a decade. The new rules stem from the 2020 Clean Waterways Act, which was signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis.

Following a year of Technical Advisory Committee meetings and an additional year of rule development workshops, the new rules are near the end of the rulemaking process.

National Stormwater Trust co-founder and former Florida Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Secretary Jeff Littlejohn, P.E. will lead an in-depth discussion on the new rules on Thursday, February 16 for the Florida Engineering Society and American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida.

Be sure you’re ready for the new rules, and register for this webinar today.

Category: News