Structural Pollutant Control BMP Inspection and Maintenance
Unified Port District • Tidelands, Southern California
Solution Overview
Client:
Unified Port District
Business Challenge:
With a large number and variety of best management practices (BMPs) spread across a wide geographic area, the Port requires a system to accurately and efficiently track both inspection and maintenance activities in compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit.
Solution:
Using innovative inspection and reporting tools, Apex is conducting inspection and maintenance of stormwater assets to achieve NPDES compliance, including:
- Conducting inspections, noting any sediment, liquid, and debris build-up in each BMP using the mobile application (app)
- Scheduling and implementation of the cleaning and/or maintenance recommended based on the inspection results, which are facilitated using Apex Real Time Environmental Management Information System (ARTEMIS®)
Results:
- Removal of hundreds of pounds of trash, debris, and other pollution-causing materials that would have entered the San Diego Bay
- Our field technicians are currently responsible for inspecting and maintaining several hundred Port BMPs
Challenge
The District owns and operates nearly 200 individual stormwater treatment control BMPs installed throughout the Port Tidelands. The project includes trash capture devices and other pollutant reducing BMPs including storm drain inlet filters from various manufacturers, pervious pavements, proprietary devices such as continuous deflection systems (CDS) units or modular wetland systems, bio-retention facilities, and media filters installed at various District locations. With a large variety of BMPs, the Port is required to maintain compliance with their NPDES stormwater permit, and ensure inspection and maintenance tracking is both accurate and efficient.
Solution
In order to conduct the monthly inspections with accuracy and timely reporting, we utilized the ARTEMIS® database with a mobile inspection app to log and track inspection results, findings, and corrective actions to efficiently manage resources and track program progress.
This platform for data management of stormwater BMP inspection and maintenance activities helps the District maintain and improve stormwater compliance. By replacing clipboards with an app for smartphones and tablets, Apex inspectors can:
- Access real time records from previous inspection reports, as needed, to verify the completion of repairs or to monitor and remedy reoccurring issues;
- Automatically submit collected data to a database resulting in improved accuracy;
- Standardize data collection to improve reporting and data mining;
- Integrate photos and GPS, providing a complete record in one submission;
- Work offline where internet connections are not available, avoiding disruption in sampling and monitoring mobilization;
- Conduct routine inspections of the stormwater treatment control BMPs and identify maintenance and/or cleaning needs;
- Implement the BMP maintenance program routine work, restoration work, and rehabilitation work; and
- Document and report the results of the inspections, maintenance, and cleaning activity.
This smartphone/tablet technology is powerful, scalable, affordable, and a tool to efficiently generate quality year end summaries, tables, and reports. This technology is an integral part of the Port’s success in maintaining stormwater compliance.
Results
By ensuring that the stormwater treatment control BMPs are functioning as designed, Apex has provided invaluable assistance to the Port in maintaining multiple stormwater permits. Over the contract duration we have removed hundreds of pounds of trash, debris, and other pollution-causing materials that would have entered the San Diego Bay. Our field technicians are currently responsible for inspecting and maintaining several hundred Port BMPs. Without the use of our innovative electronic inspection and reporting tools, maintaining compliance for the Port would be much more challenging.
The new generation of environmental information management.
ARTEMIS® is a configurable cloud-based information management system that is used to capture and manage information so our clients can achieve regulatory compliance, meet their business metrics, and drive the efficiencies that matter most to their bottom line.