4.15 — Permanent Water Quality Program Technical Plan Executive Summary

4.15 - Resources and Overview

The primary goal of the Permanent Water Quality (PWQ) Program is to fund eligible permanent water quality control measures that reduce or prevent stormwater runoff into state waters from CDOT's roads and facilities.
CDOT is required to construct PWQ Control Measures (CM) to comply with the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
CDOT's overall investment strategy is to increase the positive impacts of PWQ CMs by building comprehensive projects that treat the greatest amount of runoff in areas of greatest need. PWQ performance centers on the degree to which CMs meet the objectives of the MS4 permit requirements.
The MS4 permit requires CDOT to contribute $6.5 million annually to the PWQ Mitigation Pool Fund (MPF) and distribute funds to eligible projects for design, right-of-way acquisition, environmental clearances, and construction of PWQ CM treating CDOT's MS4 area.
Calls for Local Agency PWQ projects are opened when there are surplus funds remaining following disbursement to CDOT projects.

The PWQ Program is administered by the Water Quality Section in the Environmental Programs Branch of the Division of Transportation Development. Headquarters staff develop the application process, track the program's budget, evaluate candidate projects, and determine which projects are funded.
Environmental Programs Branch also keeps an inventory of PWQ features and tracks the status of meeting MS4 permit requirements.
Regions prepare applications for funding PWQ projects.
Regions are responsible for project design, construction, compliance, and any needed Intergovernmental Agreements.
When a project is complete, the Region Maintenance Superintendent is responsible for inspecting the project to ensure local governments are maintaining as required and identifying any outstanding maintenance issues.