The Department of Transportation (DOT) involvement in the County Conservation of Natural Resources program is mandated by Section 2-55 (d) of the County Code which requires DOT to be responsible for control, supervision, design, construction, and maintenance of all culverts and storm drainage systems under the jurisdiction of the County.The DOT Storm Drains Capital Program consists of the construction of storm drainage structures such as curbs, gutters, drainage inlets, pipes, and channels. Such networks are constructed to provide for the conveyance of stormwater from impervious surfaces into natural drainage swales and stream channels. This program is focused...
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PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
The Department of Transportation (DOT) involvement in the County Conservation of Natural Resources program is mandated by Section 2-55 (d) of the County Code which requires DOT to be responsible for control, supervision, design, construction, and maintenance of all culverts and storm drainage systems under the jurisdiction of the County.
The DOT Storm Drains Capital Program consists of the construction of storm drainage structures such as curbs, gutters, drainage inlets, pipes, and channels. Such networks are constructed to provide for the conveyance of stormwater from impervious surfaces into natural drainage swales and stream channels. This program is focused on storm drainage projects outside the scope of the larger DOT Roads program, which also installs storm drainage systems at the time of new road construction or existing road reconstruction or enhancement.
A second component of the Storm Drains program involves County, developer, and homeowner participation in the construction of storm drainage facilities. Construction of storm drainage facilities provides a public benefit by reducing drainage problems, flooding, property damage, and contributing to the orderly development of the County. In participation projects, the County and the developer or the homeowner agree to share the costs of storm drainage facilities in which the benefit of storm drainage extends beyond the developer's or homeowner's own property. The County pays only for that portion of the project which benefits properties other than the developer's or homeowner's, not to exceed 50 percent of the total cost. Homeowners can satisfy their portion of the cost-share through in-kind contributions.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT COORDINATION
In February 2010, the Maryland Department of the Environment issued the County a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit. This permit requires that the County develop and implement a Stormwater Management program to prevent harmful pollutants from being washed or dumped into the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4). DOT is partnering with the County's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in implementing the MS4 Permit by 1) constructing Stormwater Management (SWM) retrofit programs which have been developed through DEP's MS4 planning studies, 2) providing opportunities for curb bump-outs and road narrowing where feasible to permit implementation of Low-Impact Development (LID) SWM provisions within the right-of-way, 3) seeking DEP guidance on prioritization of storm drain outfall repairs, and 4) coordinating with DEP on storm drain projects developed in the Storm Drain General and Facility Planning Storm Drain programs to identify opportunities for enhancements which would assist in meeting the requirements of the MS4 permit.
In recognition of the Stormwater Management added value to the Storm Drains projects, Storm Drains have historically been funded through Water Quality Protection Bonds and the Water Quality Protection Charge. In FY19, Water Quality Protection Bonds were replaced with long-term financing based on the Maryland Water Quality Revolving Loan Fund (WQRLF) from the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE). However, due to limited eligibility of Storm Drain projects under the Maryland Water Quality Revolving Loan Fund, starting in FY22 projects will continue to be funded with Water Quality Protection Bonds and the Water Quality Protection Charge. Funding schedules in project description forms (PDFs) reflect these changes.
PROGRAM CONTACTS
Contact Dan Sheridan of the Department of Transportation at 240.777.7283 or Veronica Jaua of the Office of Management and Budget at 240.777.2782 for more information regarding this department's capital budget.
CAPITAL PROGRAM REVIEW
The Storm Drains program for FY25-30 includes four ongoing projects and one standalone project totaling $35.2 million. This represents a $1.0 million or 2.86% decrease from the Amended FY23-28 program of $36.2 million. This increase reflects the DOT's steps to support initiatives within the Montgomery County's Climate Action Plan, including efforts to increase the County's resiliency and ability to accommodate extreme precipitation events.
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