The Role of Public Education and Public Participation

in the Urban StormwaterProgram

The 6 Mandatory ManagementMeasures

• Public Education/Outreach• Public Participation/ Involvement• Illicit Discharge Identification and Elimination• Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping in

Municipal Areas• Construction Stormwater Management• Post-Construction Stormwater Management

Each of these Management Measures Requires Plans and Actions

• Four of these Management Measures are technical in nature

• They need technical staff to run them• To fulfill the objectives of the program they

need to know what is happening in the field• This requires input from staff and the public• Public input: COMPLAINTS are needed

People will support the program if:

• They know what is about• They understand why it is important• They understand the role they play in the

program• They know what they can do to help solve the

problem• That is the role of education!

Public Participation

• Having the public fully involved will:– Multiply your manpower– Increase the funds available to accomplish the

program– Increase the value of the program to elected

officials– Produce new and innovative solutions and

activities – Makes the management job easier and harder

How Do We Do This

• Identify Audiences that need education– Youth– Home owners– Business owners– Industries – Developers and Contractors– Public employees– Outdoor groups– Farmers and Foresters

How do We Reach them

• Schools and youth programs• Master Gardeners• Home owners associations• Civic clubs• Public meetings• PSAs on radio and TV• News articles• Mail outs

Electronic Media

WEB Pages

Facebook

Twitter

Must be Maintained With New Material

• Web Page-New material weekly or bi-weekly• Facebook-once or twice a week at least• Twitter-Daily • Find a person who likes to be on the computer

to do this

Where do I get Stuff to put up?

• http://www.stormh2o.com/SW/SWhome.aspx• http://

www.erosioncontrol.com/EC/EChome.aspx• http://

www.waterefficiency.net/WE/WEhome.aspx• http://srwqis.tamu.edu/• http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/environment

/water_issues/

They Know, What Now?

• They need to be offered the opportunity to be involved enough to feel that the program is theirs.

• Hold meetings with different groups to review the Stormwater Management Plan and the Stormwater Ordinance or to aid in the development of one

• Hold activities for different groups

Activities

• Project Wet sessions at K-6 Schools• Use “Guppy in a Bag” project for this age group• Competition between schools, 4-H, Boy or Girl

Scout troops on stream bank clean ups. • Neighborhood rain garden projects or Adopt-a-

Stream projects.• Establish “Hotline” for Public call in of violations

Management

• Set objectives and goals for education and involvement

• Set numeric goals to measure progress• Do follow-up surveys on knowledge and

progress• Follow up on staff progress• Expect disappointments

• People don’t do what you expect!• They do what you inspect!

• Expect Surprises!

Constant Attention to Detail