Inspection and Maintenance

Without proper inspection and maintenance (I&M), BMPs can clog, flood, fill with sediment, or have native vegetation die off.

Regular inspection and maintenance is required of stormwater practices in order to count towards their MS4 permit and receive nutrient and sediment reduction credit. Frequency of inspection can vary based on BMP type and the various jurisdictions.

Communities across the Chesapeake Bay watershed are charged with managing a growing fleet of aging BMPs that have reached the end of their lifespan and now need retrofitting or replacement. Compounding this challenge is that funding for maintenance is extremely limited, asset management databases can be unwieldy and often combine paper and digital records, and now climate stressors are increasing both routine and non-routine maintenance demands on many BMPs.