| BMP Inspection and Maintenance Program
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Stormwater best management practices (BMPs) can be highly effective at removing pollutants from incoming runoff. However, all BMP structures require regular maintenance to continue functioning properly over time. NCDOT has implemented a BMP Inspection and Maintenance Program which manages the ongoing inspection and maintenance needs of its BMPs. The objective of this program is to keep the BMPs in good operating condition in order to achieve maximum pollutant removal. NCDOT developed a BMP Inspection and Maintenance Manual which includes written procedures outlining the inspection and maintenance requirements for stormwater BMPs on NCDOT's Right-of-way. Staff receive training based on this manual and track activities in the Stormwater Controls Management System. | |
| BMP Retrofit Program
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The NPDES Retrofit Program designs and constructs BMPs retrofitted into existing NCDOT roadways and facilities. The program implements a minimum of 70 retrofits over the course of the five year NPDES permit term. Retrofit projects are coordinated with Division Staff and sites are selected with the goal of maximizing environmental benefit and if needed, improving the maintenance condition of the stormwater conveyance system. The Retrofit Program also serves as the proving grounds under which new BMPs or design criteria are tested prior to inclusion in the BMP Toolbox.
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| BMP Toolbox for Post-Construction Program
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NCDOT’s Best Management Practices (BMP) Toolbox provides guidance on the design of BMPs in the linear environment (i.e., along roadways). Each chapter describes a specific type of BMP. The entire toolbox is continually under evaluation for revision to include updated planning and design information synthesized from NCDOT’s research and other related stormwater research work in North Carolina. Chapters are updated periodically, and new BMPs are added to the toolbox after their suitability has been evaluated. The BMP Toolbox is intended to serve as a resource for NCDOT employees, contractors and other entities concerned with stormwater management. | |
| Construction Program/Borrow Pit and Waste Pile Program
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NCDOT is committed to reducing the stormwater impacts of transportation-related development on both linear and non-linear construction projects. The department implemented a sediment and erosion control program for construction activities in 1970, three years prior to the state regulation in 1973. In February 1991, the North Carolina Sediment Control Commission and Division of Land Resources delegated the authority to NCDOT to administer its own sediment and erosion control program within the jurisdiction of its activities. This progressive program requires preparing erosion control plans, implementing and maintaining standard specifications and project-special provisions and monitoring active work sites for compliance with the Sedimentation Pollution Control Act. | |
| Education and Involvement Program
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NCDOT's Education and Involvement Program develops and delivers a variety of training to NCDOT staff and contractors on pollution prevention, BMP implementation and maintenance, as well as education on the numerous Highway Stormwater Programs in general. The program also include education outreach initiatives to the general public including school age children. The program also leverages other NCDOT initiatives such as Adopt-A-Highway Program and the Office of Education Initiatives. The Education and Involvement Program is guided by two program plans - one which focuses on the delivery of training for NCDOT staff and contractors and another targeting the general public. | |
| Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program (IDDEP)
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Illicit discharges are improper non-stormwater discharges into NCDOT's stormwater drainage system which have the potential to compromise the quality of NCDOT's stormwater runoff. Examples of illicit discharges include straight piping of sanitary wastewater or greywater, car wash wastewater, and disposal of used motor oil or left over paint into the stormwater drainage system. NCDOT field staff are trained to recognize and report these discharges. NCDOT works in partnership with the NC Department of Environmental Quality to eliminate verified illicit discharges. | |
| Industrial Activities Program
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The Industrial Activities (IA) Program provides technical support and environmental protection guidance to Division staff managing NCDOT's maintenance yards, rail yards, material storage facilities, and ferry terminals. The IA Program prepares Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans customized to each industrial facility. These plans provide technical guidance on proper equipment fueling and maintenance techniques, pesticide and fertizer storage, waste disposal, and salt storage in order to ensure that these materials do not contribute to stormwater pollution. Additionally, the IA Program provides annual stormwater pollution prevention awareness training to facility personnel and site specific consultation services. | |
| Post Construction Stormwater Program (PCSP)
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NCDOT is required by its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to implement a Post-Construction Stormwater Program (PCSP). The primary objective of the PCSP is to manage stormwater runoff from NCDOT projects by requiring structural and non-structural best management practices to protect the water quality of NC's lakes, streams, rivers, and estuaries. The requirements described in the PCSP apply to NCDOT projects which increase built-upon area. As required by the PCSP, NCDOT implements structural best management practices (BMP) described in the BMP Toolbox and/or non-structural pollution minimization measures described both in the PCSP and the BMP Toolbox. For most projects, documentation that the PCSP requirements were followed is provided through the preparation of a Stormwater Management Plan. | |
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Research Program |
NCDOT continues to explore new and innovative technologies that may be suitable for use with the linear nature of most NCDOT activities. NCDOT actively funds university research to investigate and evaluate suitable methods for treating pollutants associated with NCDOT activities. Active research programs involving detailed analytical monitoring have been established to investigate and document the impacts of stormwater runoff from highways as well as the effectiveness of BMPs. Research publications sponsored by the program can be found on the NCDOT Research and Development website. | |
| Stormwater System Inventory and Prioritization Program
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NCDOT maintains a geospatial inventory of its roadway system and sensitive waters in the state. Using these data in combination with specialized data collection software, NCDOT operates a program to strategically inventory its stormwater outfall assets within priority watersheds. The outfall inventory is used to support other Highway Stormwater programs such as the BMP Retrofit Program, the Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program, and the Industrial Activities Pollution Prevention Program. | |
| Total Maximum Daily Load Program (TMDL)
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The TMDL Program provides technical support to NCDENR and USEPA in the development of TMDLs and other regulatory initiatives to ensure a fair, reasonable, and proportionate assessment of NCDOT's pollutant load contribution and reduction responsibility. The TMDL Program also manages compliance with the NCDOT's load reduction obligations through implementation of Part III Section C of the Department's NPDES permit. In addition to these requirements, the TMDL program is responsible for supporting compliance with other NC Department of Environmental Quality initiatives that have potential to affect the HSP, such as Category 4b demonstration projects and nutrient management rules. | |
| Vegetation Management Program
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Maintaining healthy vegetation within the right-of-way not only beautifies the landscape but also improve the quality of stormwater runoff from our highway. The vegetation Management Program educates staff and contractors on the proper use of pesticides and fertilizers ans well as proper mowing techniques. NCDOT works with the NC Department of Agriculture (NCDA) and local universities to investigate the latest vegetation management techniques appropriate for the linear right-of-way. Vegetation managers have also adopted an integrated pest management (IPM) program for roadside vegetation. The IPM program includes the following components: plant selection and management, vegetation and pest monitoring, pest biology and ecology, and pesticide selection and usage. Proper management of roadside vegetation is also crucial to highway safety. NCDOT prioritizes hazard-free safety clear zones, low vegetation in the operational zones, and high visibility on the roadways. | |
