Alternative compliance. Public-private partnerships. Performance contracting. These are some of the trending topics dominating stormwater management in the U.S. today, as municipalities and regulators across the country work to effectively manage the impacts of stormwater on water supply and quality, habitat, and community development. In California specifically, stormwater managers are faced with evolving stressors from densely populated urban areas and a changing climate.
The stormwater community will gather in Riverside next week for the annual California Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) conference to discuss this and other topics, with a focus on “connecting the drops” between the challenges and opportunities facing urban stormwater practitioners today.
Environmental Incentives is looking forward to participating in these important conversations at CASQA with industry leading voices from municipalities, regulators, entrepreneurs, and capital providers. Here are some of the themes we will be exploring throughout the conference.
Focusing on Dollars and Sense
The foundation of an effective stormwater program is having a strong sense of the physical assets that are needed, and the dollars necessary to build and operate them. This year CASQA attendees can explore these topics in detail during the Dollars and Sense Conference track, with a full-day of sessions dedicated to conveying essential information about: (1) Financial Planning Basics: Getting Organized, (2) Assembling a Funding Portfolio, and (3) Alternative Procurement and Delivery.
Environmental Incentives’ Chad Praul has been supporting the organization and management of the track, and we are thrilled to see the prominent position this important topic has in the agenda. Our vision for the track is to help build the capacity of attendees to improve their environmental return on investment and ensure assets are managed for the long-term benefits they are designed to provide.
Engaging private partners to increase the pace of water quality improvements
“Doing it on your own” has not proved to be an effective way to manage complex problems. Private parties – including funders, land owners and project implementers – can support municipalities by bringing ingenuity, new funding sources, and competition to meet water quality goals. Pay for performance contracting is one way to effectively engage the private sector as a supplier of water quality improvement projects.
Flexibility in compliance can improve performance and create multiple benefits
Allowing offsite compliance opens a new world of possibilities for municipalities to cost-effectively engage new parties to implement stormwater improvement projects. Alternative compliance programs like regional compliance, off-site mitigation, or in-lieu-fees can also support other community goals such as improved infrastructure and climate resilience.
Find us during one of our session presentations on Tuesday October 16th. We hope to see you there!
Chad Praul moderating the Dollars and Sense Track: Alternative Procurement and Delivery Methods. 10/16 3:45 – 5:25 pm
Jeremy Sokulsky and Grant Sharp, County of Orange on How to Engage Private Entrepreneurs Using Pay for Performance. 10/16 4:20 – 4:50 pm
Jeremy Sokulsky presenting on Expanding Fee-In-Lieu Programs to Provide Greater Opportunities for Cost-Effective Compliance. 10/16 4:55 – 5:25 pm