Title
Committee report on the Des Plaines River Watershed Workgroup.
Staff Summary
· The County is participating in the formation of a new workgroup called the Des Plaines River Watershed Workgroup (DRWW).
· The DRWW is a voluntary, dues paying organization with a mission to bring together a diverse coalition of stakeholders to work together to improve water quality in the Des Plaines River and its tributaries in a cost effective manner to meet Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) requirements.
· Membership of the DRWW consists of communities, Publically Owned Treatment Works (POTWs), and other interested parties including agency members represented by NPDES permit holders, associate members which are non-permit holding organizations, and individual members.
· Agency members will be represented by four votes, associates by two votes, and individual members by one vote.
· The DRWW will monitor water quality in the river and tributaries, prioritize and implement water quality improvement projects, and secure grant funding to offset costs.
· Monitoring data will allow for a greater understanding of the water quality impairments, identify priority restoration activities, and track water quality improvements.
· The DRWW is committed to an approach for attaining water quality standards that focuses on stakeholder involvement, monitoring, and locally led decision-making based on sound science.
· Both point and non-point sources are permitted by the IEPA under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
· IEPA has been calling for more stringent limits of phosphorus discharge from POTWs that would necessitate costly plant upgrades; DRWW's method for improving water quality through prioritized project implementation based on monitoring will be more cost effective and efficient.
· The DRWW will be governed by bylaws, an elected executive board, and a voting, dues-paying membership.
· Dues are based on design average flow for POTW's and areas within the watershed for MS4s. Dues are weighted so that POTWs will be responsible for two thirds of the annual budget and MS4s will be responsible for one third of the annual budget.
· The first general membership meeting, where all municipal and POTW NPDES permit holders will be invited to learn more about the group including the structure, goal, and next steps, is scheduled for Wednesday, April 2nd from 1:30-3:30 at the Village Hall in Libertyville.