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The BCDCOG Stormwater Management Committee – encouraged to convene by Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg – brought together technical stormwater staff from municipalities across the region this month to discuss what the mayor has long described as an existential regional threat.

“We share this issue and we have an impact on each other,” Tecklenburg said.

Staff members reported on ongoing efforts ranging from infrastructure mapping to stormwater design standards and management plan updates. Discussion quickly turned to potential for collaboration and finances.

“Our biggest risk is finding guaranteed funding,” said Mount Pleasant Stormwater Division chief Hillary Repik.

The ability to share data and ideas received broad support in the meeting and led to three action items:

  • Collaboration on the development of regional stormwater manual and design standards.
  • Inventorying stormwater fees and structures.
  • Compiling and combining stormwater data.

BCDCOG staff will coordinate this work, led by the recently hired senior planner Kristin Miguez who manages the agency’s efforts related to water quality and environmental planning.

“Stormwater is something, like traffic, that doesn’t recognize jurisdictional boundaries,” said BCDCOG executive director Ron Mitchum. “To have a group like this working in a formal setting could be a key to unlocking resources to address flooding, infrastructure and resilience on a regional level.”

The committee will reconvene in May to review progress.