36 | NATIONAL RECREATION AND PARK ASSOCIATION BEST PRACTICES: SITE MAINTENANCE & OPERATIONS BEST PRACTICE: ENSURE EFFECTIVE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES DESCRIPTION: Installed green stormwater infrastructure devices require maintenance, just like conventional approaches do. Effective operation and maintenance procedures will ensure that installed devices function properly, that benefits are realized, and public safety is protected. STRATEGIES: • Involve maintenance personnel in the design process to ensure the facilities as designed can be easily maintained. • Secure long-term maintenance budget to support capital improvements and maintenance needs for installed green stormwater infrastructure practices. • Establish maintenance and inspection procedures and schedules; identify common triggers that require non-routine maintenance (e.g., excess sediment, erosion, dead or overgrown vegetation, or excess trash) to aid field inspectors.108 • Record and map the owner, type, and location of installed practices and include a log of maintenance activities; require the submittal of as-built plans for stormwater treatment systems. • Establish a system for tracking activities, standard maintenance protocols, an operations and maintenance training program, and a database indicating where infrastructure is located. • Monitor and evaluate over time. Engage university academia, researchers, extension agencies, and others in these efforts. • Determine whether there is sufficient staff to cover inspections and maintenance needs; if necessary, evaluate whether to train staff or hire experienced contractors.109 • If needed, partner with other agencies or departments that have the equipment and skill sets to inspect and maintain green stormwater infrastructure practices; establish an Operations and Maintenance Memorandum of Understanding between agencies or departments for green stormwater infrastructure projects on park properties. • Incorporate detailed maintenance information in green stormwater infrastructure manuals or as standalone guidebooks. EXAMPLES: • In Seattle, the Seattle Public Utilities and the King County Wastewater Treatment Division have established a joint program and have secured a long-term maintenance budget for green stormwater infrastructure in the public right-of-way.110 • The City of Shoreline, WA’s Public Works Department and Department of Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Assets joined forces to restore the natural topography and add a constructed wetland to a previously barren 9-acre park. The two departments share maintenance responsibilities, with the park costing about $60,000 a year and the stormwater features about $11,000.111 RESOURCES: • Philadelphia, PA: Green City, Clean Waters Green Infrastructure Maintenance Manual • EPA: Operation and Maintenance Considerations for Green Infrastructure • EPA: Elements of a Green Infrastructure Maintenance Business Plan • Seattle, WA: Green Stormwater Operations and Maintenance Manual
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