Leveraging Technology to Add Value to a Phase II NPDES Permit

In 1999, Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System engaged operators of small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) in the control of runoff from urban areas.  The complex task of urban runoff mitigation has been investigated for several decades, resulting in a large variety of available computing and measurement tools for urban stormwater management.  Unfortunately, these tools may not be available to the MS4 operator in a format that is both concise, and directly applicable.  To address this need, this thesis recommends stormwater model creation and refinement strategies for Phase II MS4s using GIS and Python scripting.  Further recommendations on using a popular discharge measurement technique for model calibration are provided.  This workflow is then demonstrated in a watershed in Blacksburg, Virginia, where a unique MS4 permitting partnership allowed the development of these tools.  Finally, further improvements to the workflow are suggested along with ideas for additional research for stormwater management in Phase II MS4s.