Water Resources
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The Water Resources chapter complements the Environmental Sustainability chapter in addressing the City’s most valuable resource, its water. The City’s waterways are both an ecological and cultural asset that shape nearly all activity in the city in some way, and the city in turn impacts these waterways both positively and negatively. For this reason, the goals of this chapter are closely tied to the Land Use chapter as well.
Goal:
Reinforce an ethic of proactive watershed stewardship through all sectors of the city, including residents, businesses, and institutions.
Performance Metrics:
- The number of residential and commercial properties utilizing the stormwater fee incentive policy is doubled by 2030.
- Legislation that eliminates single-use plastics within the city is adopted by City Council.
Action 1: Work with Green Vest and other stormwater project contractors to integrate community involvement, minority subcontracting, and other possible programs to broaden awareness of stormwater management within communities.
Action 2: Develop an economic development strategy to promote and attract more green jobs in the city, including with businesses focused on stormwater management, restoration, blue technology, renewable energy, and green building.
Action 3: Expand the marketing and outreach around a revised incentive policy for the stormwater improvements to encourage more residential and commercial property owners to implement the improvements.
Action 4: Eliminate single-use plastics within the City’s waste stream through legislation and an educational campaign. (also listed in the Environmental Sustainability element under as goal ES 7)
Action 5: Update the Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance to require all new on-site stormwater Management facilities to include interpretive signage that educates passersby on the value of the facility.
Action 6: Explore ways of better supporting, leveraging, and coordinating the work of watershed organizations in the Annapolis area that may include: changes to the functioning of the Waterways Cabinet; the establishment of a new organization that consolidates the efforts of multiple organizations; and a dedicated fund, among others strategies.
Goal:
Reduce the City’s volume of stormwater runoff, using a wide array of means to do so.
Performance Metric:
- Meet the TMDL goal of 20% reduction based on the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay pollution diet.
Action 1: Revise the incentive policy for the Stormwater improvements to encourage more existing residential and commercial properties to implement the improvements particularly sites that currently have large impervious areas and limited or stormwater treatment facilities.
Action 2: Work with the Watershed Stewards Academy to develop a program that encourages homeowners to implement green infrastructure projects to capture and treat more stormwater on site.
Action 3: Work with the Watershed Stewards Academy and various community business associations to create a new program aimed at commercial property owners and stormwater improvements on large impervious areas.
Action 4: Utilize the Greenway Plan and assistance from the Annapolis Conservancy Board to prioritize the conservation of undeveloped areas that would have the highest benefit to reducing stormwater runoff.
Action 5: Adopt “Green Street” design standards that include maximum tree planting, use of silva cells, micro bioretention, permeable pavers, and other integrated stormwater best management practices. (also listed in the Transportation element under goal T 3 )
Goal:
Adopt a comprehensive approach toward watershed restoration that reinforces the both ecological and cultural value of Annapolis’ waterways.
Performance Metric:
- By 2040, all of the City’s major creeks will be fishable and swimmable, and by 2050 all of the City’s major creeks will be fishable and swimmable after a major rain event.
Action 1: Prepare small area plans for each of the City’s creek watershed areas that coordinate land use with environmental goals to support both the continued improvement of the City’s waterways and a model for sensible infill development. (also listed in the Land Use element under goal LU 1 )
Action 2: Leverage the City’s share of Anne Arundel County’s Watershed Protection and Restoration (WPRF) Fee to address stream and shoreline restorations that will improve both ecological function and public use.
Action 3: Ensure that the majority of the funds from City’s stormwater fee is used for new restoration projects.
Action 4: Ensure that a maintenance strategy is included in the planning, design, and budgeting for all watershed restoration projects, which should include the identification of dedicated funding sources for maintenance.
Action 5: Expand on the water quality testing work of the Spa Creek Conservancy and other organizations by conducting more regular and comprehensive testing of all waterways in the city.
Action 6: Explore the feasibility of expanding and/or training the maintenance staff from the City’s Department of Recreation and Parks to maintain watershed restoration projects.
Goal:
Provide high quality, safe drinking water to all customers.
Performance Metrics:
- Field data gathering strategies for input into the City’s water distribution system asset condition assessment model are fully implemented by 2023.
- Identified water distribution system replacement projects as informed by the updated condition assessment and consequence of failure models are completed by 2035.
Action 1: Continue to gather water distribution system condition data to inform the projects to be completed.
Action 2: Ensure that the 10-year Water and Sewer Plan continues to be updated regularly.
Action 3: Continue to budget for and complete the water pipe replacement projects as identified in the 10-year Water and Sewer Plan and/or as informed by updated condition assessment and consequence of failure models
Goal:
Manage the City’s wastewater infrastructure proactively to mitigate instances of failure, backups, and overflows.
Performance Metrics:
- Complete the baseline inspection of all City sewers per National Association of Sewer Service Companies (NASSCO) standards by 2032.
- Identified sewer replacement or relining projects as informed by the updated condition assessment and consequence of failure models are completed within 2 years of identification.
Action 1: Continue sewer inspections and ramp up the pace of inspections per NASSCO standards.
Action 2: Ensure that the 10-year Water and Sewer Plan continues to be updated regularly.
Action 3: Continue to budget for and complete the wastewater collection system projects as identified in the 10-year Water and Sewer Plan and/or as informed by updated condition assessment and consequence of failure models.
Action 4: Explore with Anne Arundel County the feasibility of generating commercial compost using the bio-solids produced at the Annapolis Water Reclamation Facility.