Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Guidance Manual

This project focused on the US EPA’s Phase II Storm Water Program, specifically component 3 – Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination and was funded by the Ohio Environmental Education Fund. It included the development of a Guidance Manual on Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Methods for communities to utilize in developing their own community based manual. This project also focused on educating communities, including community elected officials, engineers, service and building departments on component 3 and the use of the guidance manual in deterring sources of illicit discharge and how to eliminate these sources of discharge to the community’s storm sewer system. All phase II designated communities can receive a copy of the CD-ROM and they will have an opportunity to receive this via mail or during an outreach program. These outreach programs were held regionally and throughout the State of Ohio. 

Project Justification
Communities have always had challenges in educating their citizens, public officials and children. Whether this education is about the benefits of recycling, proper disposal of household hazardous wastes or conservation of water. There is a real need for the investment in general public education and this will increase for all of Cuyahoga County due to the Ohio EPA Storm Water Phase II NPDES permit requirements that became effective in March 2003. The Phase II NPDES Permits are required for all public entities operating storm sewers inside urbanized areas as identified by the 2000 census. In Cuyahoga County, this includes a total of 57 cities, villages and townships with a population of over 1.4 million.  The Phase II Storm Water NPDES permits require communities to meet six minimum control measures for storm water management. These include 1) Public Education and Outreach, 2) Public Involvement and Participation, 3) Illicit Discharge Identification and Elimination, 4) Construction Site Runoff Control, 5) Post-Construction Runoff Control, 6) Good Housekeeping.

The Project Goals and Objectives of this grant included the focus on Compliance Assistance and Community Issues. The compliance assistance included helping the Phase II Regulated Communities understand and comply with the Ohio EPA’s Phase II Storm Water Regulations Component 3 – Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program. This was done by developing an Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Guidance Manual for the detection and elimination of illicit discharges to a communities’ MS4 system.
A Technical Advisory Committee was developed as part of this project and this committee was instrumental in editing the manual and providing necessary input as to the content as well. This committee consisted of:

Harry Stark, Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Laura Travers, Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Pam Sawchyn, Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Cathy Becker, North Olmsted Assistant City Engineer
Dan Bogoevsky, Ohio EPA
Chris Courtney, the C.W. Courtney Company
Ken Dombrowski, Wade Trim
Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, Executive Director for the Chagrin River Watershed Partners
Jeff Duke, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Jeff Filarski, Chagrin Valley Engineering LTD
Tom Krezcko, Beachwood Staff Engineer
Mary Maciejowski, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District
Brian Mader, Steve Hovancsek and Associates
Francine Toth, Lake County General Health District
Rachel Webb, Chagrin River Watershed Partners

A special thanks to the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) for providing the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Manual Outfall Database and Users Manual for this project. The database is located within the CD-ROM.

Along with these contributors, a number of reference documents were used in the development of this manual. These include:

• The Ohio EPA Phase II Storm Water Rules and Regulations (3745-39-03)
• Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination: A Guidance Manual for Program Development and Technical Assessments by the Center of Watershed Protection and Robert Pitt, University of Alabama, 2004
• Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Manual: A Handbook for Municipalities by the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, 2003
• Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures for Stormwater Phase II Communities in Maine
• US EPA Phase II Storm Water Rules and Regulations
• US EPA Phase II Fact Sheets on Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program

Any questions regarding the manual or database, please contact Laura Travers at 216-201-2001 ext 1225 or ltravers@ccbh.net

Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Guidance Manual
CCBH Stormwater Program