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Public WorkshopTypical Maintenance Costs

January 19, 2011Several Slides Courtesy of Center for Watershed

Protection

Rhode Island Stormwater Design and Installation Standards Manual

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Major:Rehabilitation or reconstruction

Non-routine:Cleanout trash and sediment,

structural repairs, partial rehabilitation

Routine:Visual assessment, mowing,

litter & debris removal, vegetation management

Stormwater BMP O& M PyramidSource: Erickson, et. al, 2010

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Audience Poll

• Who has primary responsibility for maintenance in your community?– Haven’t figured it out yet– Private landowners or homeowners

associations– Local government or other public

agency– Hybrid of public and private sector

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Factors that impact maintenance costs

• Inspection frequency;• Required routine maintenance (# of

maintenance actions – function of type of practice);

• Required specialized equipment;• Number of staff hours required for

routine items;• Required non-routine

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Plan Review

The Life Cycle Approach to Stormwater Maintenance

• The most successful programs recognize that effective stormwater BMP maintenance involves more than just maintenance

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Maintenance Program Scoping Questions

• What are the local watershed protection and restoration objectives?

• How many stormwater BMPs are currently in place?

• How many more stormwater BMPs are expected?

• Where will they be located?• Who will maintain them?• What will be the level of service provided

by the community?• How can the program be funded?

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Program Level of Service

• Complaint-driven /political program

• Regular inspection and maintenance schedule

• Inspection reports and record keeping

• Public vs. private maintenance

• Program funding

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Maintenance Program Models

• Communities have several different options to consider when vesting maintenance responsibilities– Option 1: Private maintenance– Option 2: Public maintenance– Option 3: Hybrid

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Maintenance Program Options

• Option 1: Private MaintenanceCommunity responsible for public stormwater controls, homeowners or businesses have responsibility for private controls

• Reduces costs• Good option for small communities with

limited staff• Community still responsible for education,

tracking and enforcement

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Key Considerations for Option 1

• Who should conduct routine inspections?• How to ensure that maintenance continues

when properties change hands?• When should enforcement be used?

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Maintenance Program Options

• Option 2: Public MaintenanceCommunity has full responsibility for maintenance of both public and private stormwater controls

• Uncommon due to costs• Better control• Requires dedicated staff and funding• Avoids legal roadblocks and questions

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Budgeting for a Local Maintenance Program

• Staff• Equipment• Administration• Tracking/GIS• Contractual Services• Other

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Maintenance LOS

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Maintenance Manual Reference

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Maintenance ChecklistsAppendix E

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AnnualO&M costs a function of

capital costBioretention:$O&M% = 90.1($CC)-0.29

Wet Basins:$O&M% = 230.9($CC)-

0.36

Open Channels:$O&M% = 2526($CC)-0.53

For Example:Bioretention costing

50KO&M cost ~ 4% of CC

Open Channel practice costing 50k

O&M cost ~ 8% of CC

CC = Cap CostSource: Kang, Weiss: Univ of MN

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Annual cost of sediment removal (2005)

Source: Erickson, et. al, 2010

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More cost data (2005)

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More cost information• Typical construction inspection costs for LID

systems: 2-4% of Capital Construction Cost (HW personal experience)

Source: Christina Basin Trib Team, DE, 2005

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More cost data (2003)

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More cost data (2003)

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More data (2004+/-)(http://www.stormwatercenter.net

/)

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More Data

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ExampleAnnual predicted maintenance

costs• Raingarden: $650• Infiltration chambers: $300/ system• Site/landscaping: $2,000

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Reduce Maintenance “Liability” During BMP Selection & Design

• Include low-maintenance, non-structural BMPs

• Thorough plan review ensures design standards are properly implemented

• Review the plan as if you were the maintenance crews…or have maintenance staff actually review the plans

• Get standards off the books and onto site plans!

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• Review site plans with maintenance in mind

• Require detailed maintenance plan – Inspection schedule– Maintenance frequency – Responsible party

• Require pretreatment• Strive to make sediment

removal operations quick and easy

• Design practices with gentle side slopes

• Include native vegetative “no mow” buffers around stormwater practices

• Require long-term vegetation management plan

Plan Review ChecklistPlan Review Checklist PretreatmentPretreatment Maintenance AccessMaintenance Access Landscaping PlanLandscaping Plan

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Conduct Inspections During AND After Construction

• Use inspections to check progress and quality of installation, not just for erosion and sediment control

• Annual maintenance inspections

• Use detailed inspection checklists

• 1 FTE: 250 to 500 BMPs/year

• Third party inspections?

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Routine and Thorough Inspections After Construction

• Annual inspections• Detailed inspection

checklists• Measurements where

available• Mark problem areas

(e.g. spray paint)• Issue work orders to

correct problems • Third party

inspections?

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Synchronize Field Data and Office Data

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Educate and Involve the Maintainers

• BMP “owner’s manuals” and other educational materials

• “Adopt-a-Pond” programs• Volunteer cleanup events

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Questions?