REPORT TO SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Forward a recommendation to City Council to Approve the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan, Approve Budget Modification No. 7, and Find that the Action is Exempt from CEQA Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15308
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Sunnyvale owns and operates a separate storm drainage system, which is regulated under the Federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program. Consequently, the City is subject to the San Francisco Bay Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit (Order R2-2015-0049), also known as the Municipal Regional Permit (Permit) issued by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Regional Water Board). In addition to Sunnyvale, the Permit applies to 75 other large, medium and small agencies (cities, towns, counties and flood control agencies) that discharge stormwater to the San Francisco Bay. The current permit, effective 2016 through 2020, contains new requirements including more aggressive trash reduction targets, implementation of new activities to control targeted pollutants such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and the development of a Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) plan.
Permittees are specifically required to develop and begin implementing long-term Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Plans to gradually shift from traditional "gray" storm drainage infrastructure to a more protective and resilient storm drain system that combines gray infrastructure with "green infrastructure," which generally consists of landscape-based treatment features that slow and filter stormwater before it enters the conventional collection system and flows to local waterways. Such treatment features can be implemented on public and private lands, including streets, roads, storm drains, parking lots, and building roofs.
The GSI Plan must be completed, approved by the City Council and submitted to the Regional Water Board by September...
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