Category: Policy

Stormwater Management Programs (SWMP)

Stormwater Management Programs (SWMP)

12/03/25

“How do municipalities plan for stormwater management?”

Nearly every part of the world receives stormwater, whether it’s the Syrian desert or the Amazonian Rainforest. The runoff from this stormwater can carry pollutants from municipalities to nearby water bodies. Towns and cities are required to devise a plan for managing stormwater pollution transport. In the U.S., these plans are called Stormwater Management Programs (SWMPs). The Clean Water Act requires public entities that operate MS4 systems to develop stormwater management programs.

Impaired Water Bodies

Impaired Water Bodies

12/02/25

“How does the EPA classify water bodies that don’t meet water quality standards?”

Water bodies all over the world have different levels of pollution. In the U.S., some water bodies are so polluted that they don’t meet water quality standards, leading the EPA to classify them as Impaired Water Bodies. Impaired water bodies are eligible to have a total maximum load pollution limit and environmental review for projects that may impact them to protect against further degradation.

Adopt a Catch Basin Programs

Adopt a Catch Basin Programs

11/17/25

“How can neighborhood residents take care of their local catch basins?”

Catch basins accumulate debris underneath and on top of their grating. If this mess is left uncleaned, then floods may pile up, and the inside of pipes may become less functional. While it takes advanced equipment to clean underneath the grating, sweeping away debris from the top is very straightforward. Municipal governments have established Adopt a Catch Basin Programs to invite residents to routinely clean the catch basins in their neighborhoods. Residents may be assigned a particular catch basin to clear. Adopt a catch basin programs go a long way to make neighborhoods healthier and more resilient to climate change.

Image credit: https://portal.311.nyc.gov/

Sole Source Aquifers

Sole Source Aquifers

11/09/25

“How does the U.S. designate an aquifer that’s the only or principal source of drinking water?”

Municipalities in the U.S. use a plethora of different sources for drinking water, from groundwater aquifers to coastal desalination plants. But some communities rely on a single aquifer for their only or principal source of drinking water. If this aquifer gets contaminated, then it could spell huge trouble for the community. To protect themselves, communities can apply to the EPA to have their aquifer designated as a Sole Source Aquifer if they receive 50 percent or more of their water from a single aquifer and have no reasonable alternative sources if the aquifer becomes contaminated. Sole source aquifer designation provides legal benefits for communities such as extra environmental review for projects that may damage the aquifer, increasing public awareness, and open up potential federal grants.

Groundwater Conservation Easements

Groundwater Conservation Easements

10/11/25

“How can governments compensate property owners to restrict groundwater usage?”

Aquifers can deplete, and land can subside if too much groundwater is pumped. In many parts of the world, groundwater resources are controlled by private property owners. Enforcing these property owners to conserve the greater good can be difficult. One tool governments can leverage is to offer incentives to landowners, such as direct payments, credits, or tax write-offs, to conserve groundwater. One example is California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act to improve groundwater conservation coordination between communities and local governments. These Groundwater Conservation Easements can enable aquifer protection and sustainable land-use for regions to prosper.

Linear Infrastructure

Linear Infrastructure

09/14/25

“Can we unify linear geometry infrastructure under a single name?”

Physical infrastructure comes in a multitude of shapes and sizes. Many come in linear geometries, such as canals, pipelines, railways, and powerlines. This Linear Infrastructure must contend with strenuous logistical coordination and bureaucratic hurdles for implementation.

Tierra del Fuego

Tierra del Fuego

07/31/25

“What makes the southern tip of the Americas so special?”

When one pictures South America, many think of lush, dense jungles that keep hot and humid all year. But at the very southern tip of the continent is a very special archipelago that looks nothing like what’s described above. Tierra del Fuego, Spanish for “land of the fire”, is an archipelago divided between Argentina and Chile that features mountains, forests, and even glaciers. While beautiful, the islands are the traditional homelands of the Selkʼnams, Kawésqar, Haush, and Yaghan people, who suffered from genocide by the colonial Euro-South American nation-states now occupying the land.

Marine Protected Areas

Marine Protected Areas

07/09/25

“How can we protect marine ecological areas?”

Industrial activity in marine areas can destroy ecosystems. One way to prevent this is to limit all human activities that don’t contribute to ecological and cultural conservation. Governments and international bodies establish these Marine Protected Areas to ensure ecosystem stability.

Image credit: https://marinesanctuary.org/

NYC Unified Stormwater Rule

NYC Unified Stormwater Rule

07/05/25

“How can NYC unify its stormwater regulations to cover both its combined and separated sewers under one regulation?”

Historically, NYC regulated stormwater in its combined sewer overflows differently than its municipal separate stormwater sanitary systems. But on February 15, 2022, NYC unveiled its NYC Unified Stormwater Rule. This regulation brought RCNY Title 15 Chapter 19.1 enforcement to the entire city and reduced the minimum qualification to 20,000 square feet. This shifted NYC’s stormwater pollution focus from off-site treatment to on-site treatment, putting NYC on a path to a more just and sustainable future. The NYC unified stormwater rule can increase equity in environmental justice communities due to their sizable presence in older combined sewer overflow neighborhoods.