I'm excited to welcome my good friend and former colleague Ryan Johnson to the show. Ryan is the Environmental Manager for the City of Roseville in Minnesota and is my favorite storm water and water resources guru. Ryan joins me in this episode to talk about the underappreciated role of making sure that private stormwater BMP's are properly maintained. I know, exciting! But it is. And it is certainly very important for the overall efficiency of the public stormwater system as well. Enjoy!

AI Generated Description:

Private stormwater device maintenance is vital to the overall operation of municipal stormwater systems, especially for meeting retention and treatment goals. Ryan Johnson shares his expertise as Roseville's Environmental Manager on managing these often-overlooked infrastructure components.
• Ryan's background includes working with Ramsey County on residential BMPs and critical area stabilizations before joining Roseville
• Roseville faces unique challenges as a first-ring suburb built in the 50s-60s with limited stormwater planning
• Private property BMPs are essential when municipalities can't handle all stormwater management alone
• Maintenance of underground chambers requires regular inspection and cleaning of pretreatment structures
• Proactive maintenance is far more cost-effective than emergency repairs or city enforcement
• Roseville created a comprehensive program with maintenance agreements, plans, and code enforcement
• Property owner education is crucial as many don't realize they have stormwater infrastructure
• The city can perform abatements when property owners fail to maintain their systems
• Success stories include both the property owner who immediately took action and challenging sites requiring enforcement
• Future plans include potentially offering inspection services similar to private hydrant programs
Contact your local municipal stormwater team if you're uncertain about the maintenance requirements for stormwater infrastructure on your property.