MCM 1 Public Education and Outreach

Anoka Conservation District staff giving a tour of a streambank stabilization project. Credit: Anoka Conservation District

Introduction

An educated and informed community can not only prevent pollution in stormwater, but also identify and report illicit discharges or construction activities that may negatively affect stormwater. Therefore, Minimum Control Measure (MCM) 1 of the MS4 General Permit requires every MS4 permittee to run an education and outreach program to teach their community about the impacts of stormwater discharge. The education and outreach program should foster proper stormwater management behaviors.

MS4 General Permit requirements for MCM 1

The MS4 General Permit requires MS4 permittees to:

• Distribute educational materials focused on high priority, stormwater specific issues and illicit discharge recognition and reporting.
• Develop an implementation plan that includes target audiences; activities and schedules; measurable goals for each audience; the staff in charge of implementing the plan; coordination with any outside organizations (if any); and an evaluation to measure whether the goals are being, or on track to be, met.
• Document activities, as described here.

Resources

Click on the blue links above in the "MS4 General Permit requirements" section to get more information and resources specific to those permit requirements. In addition, all resources related to MCM 1 are below.

Fact sheets and guidance documents

Fact sheets and guidance documents should provide background information and tips to inform your approach to implementing MCM 1 - Public Education and Outreach.

• EPA MCM 1 guidance - EPA's guidance and suggested BMPs for an effective public education program
• Climate change in Minnesota - MPCA's factsheet on how climate change is impacting Minnesota
• Green building tips - MPCA's fact sheet on why and how to incorporate green building ideas into projects
• Rain barrel programs - MPCA's guidance and fact sheet on stormwater reuse, including residential rain barrel programs
• Reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides - MPCA's fact sheet on why and how to reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides
• Rain garden fact sheet - Winona County's fact sheet describing what is a rain garden
• Rain garden plants and design - Winona County's fact sheet on rain garden plants and design

Documentation and tracking templates

Documentation and tracking templates are examples that local stormwater staff are currently using to meet the MS4 General Permit requirements for MCM 1 - Public Education and Outreach.

• Documentation of public education activities held - East Metro Water Resource Education Program's method to document public education events and activities
• Documentation of public education activities held - City of Fairbault's method to document public education events and activities
• Documentation of public education activities held - Scott Soil and Water Conservation District's method to document public education events and activities
• Documentation of public education activities held - City of Rochester's method to document public education events and activities
• Documentation of quantities and descriptions of educational materials distributed and activities held - City of Prior Lake's method to document quantities and descriptions of educational materials distributed and activities held
• Documentation of quantities and descriptions of educational materials distributed and activities held - City of Faribault's method to document quantities and descriptions of educational materials distributed and activities held
• Documentation of quantities and descriptions of educational materials distributed and activities held - City of Rochester's method to document quantities and descriptions of educational materials distributed and activities held
• Annual evaluation Scott Soil and Water Conservation District's annual evaluation to measure whether the goals are being, or on track to be, met

Example procedures

Example procedures are those that local stormwater staff are currently using to meet the MS4 General Permit requirements for MCM 1 - Public Education and Outreach.

• Public education implementation plan - Scott Soil and Water Conservation District's public education implementation plan
• Public education implementation plan - Arden Hills' public education implementation plan
• Public education implementation plan - City of Crystal's public education implementation plan

Educational materials

Below are examples, tools, or other resources to enhance your public education program.

Resources

• EPA Outreach toolbox - EPA's outreach materials that can be used to promote proper stormwater management in your community
• EPA's Soak Up the Rain Campaign - Provides template and customizable outreach tools and resources to educate and engage your community on the impacts of stormwater pollution and how to help solve the problem
• Smart Salting Resources - Mississippi Watershed Management Organization's Smart Salting Resources for Educators and Advocates
• Alex the Frog Environmental Education Series - Hamline University Center for Global Environmental Education's interactive bilingual (English and Spanish) interactive educational website to teach about the impacts of impervious surfaces and stormwater pollution. Contains three series for grades 4-8 including: Water Down the Drain, Urban Water Cycle, and Big Foot

Videos

• Red Wing Public Lawn Mowing Public Service Announcement - Short video on the importance of mulching grass and keeping grass clippings in residents' lawns and out of the storm sewer
• You can build a garden music video - Minnehaha Creek Watershed District's music video to promote residential rain gardens
• Chlorine pollution and smart salting music video - Mississippi River Watershed Management Organization's music video to educate about chlorine pollution and smart salting tips

Banners, kits, displays, and activities to borrow

• Stormwater Banners and hand-on displays - MPCA's banners and hand-on displays available for check-out
• Educational Exhibits - Watershed Partners' Exhibits for Events and Exhibits for Classroom check out system for borrowing one of their exhibits

Public Involvement tools and examples

Below are examples, tools, or other resources to enhance your public participation/involvement program.

Adopt a storm drain programs

Adopt a storm drain programs engage individual residents to proactively prevent pollution, like leaves and litter, from reaching stormwater. The programs generally allow residents to choose a storm drain they will keep clean. Residents are typically given educational materials when they first sign-up that include tips related to topics such as smart salting, leaf and litter management, or how to spot an illicit discharge.

• Adopt a storm drain program for residents - Example of a storm drain adoption program for residents of St. Paul, Roseville, and Bloomington
• Adopt a storm drain program for residents - Example of a storm drain adoption program for residents of Minneapolis
• Adopt a storm drain program for residents - Example of a storm drain adoption program for residents of Golden Valley
• Adopt a storm drain handout - Adopt-a-Drain's handout to new members explaining why and how to keep storm drains clean

Storm drain stenciling programs

Storm drain stenciling is a way involve groups, such scout groups, in your stormwater program while spreading your stormwater message throughout your community. Generally groups identify neighborhoods or specific blocks in your community and spray paint the pavement next to a storm drain with a message about not polluting stormwater.

• Storm drain stenciling fact sheet - MPCA's fact sheet on storm drain stenciling
• Storm drain stenciling fact sheet - City of Burnsville's fact sheet on why storm drain stenciling is important
• Storm drain stenciling guide - University of Minnesota Extension Service's guide to starting a storm drain stenciling program
• Storm drain stenciling guide - Chesapeake Bay Foundation's guide to starting a storm drain stenciling program
• Storm drain stenciling instructions - City of Burnsville's guide to storm drain stenciling
• Storm drain stenciling equipment list - City of Burnsville's Storm drain stenciling equipment list
• Storm drain stenciling program - Link to City of Burnsville's storm drain stenciling program
• Storm drain stenciling program - Link to Friend's of the Mississippi River's storm drain stenciling program
• Storm drain stenciling program - Link to City of Minneapolis' storm drain stenciling program

Community cleanup events

Community clean up events engage individuals and groups. Clean up events can focus on a specific waterbody, like the City of Brooklyn Center's Shingle Creek event, or on overall stormwater protection, such as Tangletown's leaf raking event.

• Community clean up event - City of Brooklyn Center's clean up event at Shingle Creek
• Community clean up event - Friends of the Mississippi River's clean up event along the Mississippi River
• Community leaf raking event - St. Paul Tangletown neighborhood's community leaf raking event to keep leafs out of the storm drains

Rain barrel programs

• Rain barrels - Examples locally and nationally of residential rain barrel programs
• Build your own rain barrel fact sheet - Winona's Guide for why and how to build your own rain barrel