The HRPDC hosted the Hampton Roads Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Workshop on Monday, June 13, 2016.  Federal regulations define an illicit discharge as “...any discharge to a municipal separate stormwater system (MS4) that is not composed entirely of stormwater...”  Some sources of illicit discharges include wastewater piping mistakenly connected to the storm sewer, infiltration into the MS4 from cracked sanitary systems, spills collected by drain outlets, or paint or used oil dumped directly into a drain.  MS4 permittees are required to reduce illicit discharges to the maximum extent practicable.  Topics covered during the Workshop included IDDE and water quality, prioritizing areas for IDDE investigations, source tracking, and fixing discharges.  Local government field staff had the opportunity to operate various types of water quality monitoring equipment.

The Workshop was funded with grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Virginia Environmental Endowment.   Mr. Dave Hirschman and Ms. Laurel Williamson (Center for Watershed Protection) and Ms. Lori Lilly (Lori A Lilly Environmental Solutions) presented the Workshop, which was attended by 55 local government staff, state representatives, and consultants from across the region.