A group of stormwater sector manufacturers have banded together last summer to form the Storm Water Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (SWEMA). Their goal is to support the regulatory and engineering communities, as well as the individual cities and states now grappling with how to implement Clean Water Act and other stormwater regulations.
One of the main issues is cities and towns around the country are working to develop definitive stormwater regulations, yet they have few resources to turn to for questions or guidance. Often, municipalities find they are working in a vacuum, striving to find the best solution to control and treat stormwater in their community. While each area might have unique characteristics such as rainfall and snow volumes, topography and population density, they all face similar challenges: What are the best management practices for our environment? How to validate that the stormwater treatment system will work as planned? What are the appropriate methods to ensure the system continues to operate as intended? What maintenance issues should be considered when making an investment in stormwater treatment?
The SWEMA’s first goal is education. A number of constituencies are in their sites, including the regulatory community and developers.
The members of SWEMA are coming together to advocate for effective and sustainable practices that improve water quality and help the overall environment. They say they’re going to reach out to stakeholders about ways to validate performance of stormwater treatment systems, whether they are natural systems like swales or rain gardens or manufactured devices such as separators or filters. They’ll discuss issues such as maintenance, which is often underappreciated in the stormwater treatment process; the role of lab-based testing and need for pilot projects for emerging technologies; and the need for consistent standards to ensure appropriate sizing of all stormwater practices. SWEMA committee members plan to reach out to all members of the stormwater community, from regulatory agencies to engineers, acting as a sounding board for new ideas and treatment concepts.