(11/25) The Thurmont Town Council approved a bid from S-Works Construction Corporation for the stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) upgrades utilizing the Gordian Contract. The Town will pay for the project partially from the remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which need to be obligated by the end of 2024.
The Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS-4) permit issued by the State of Maryland for municipalities is to protect and improve water quality in their local streams. Thurmont has been involved since 2022. "This program is to make improvements to several stormwater management facilities around Town and bring them up to modern standards as part of the MS-4 requirements from the State of Maryland for our [Chesapeake] Bay protection," Mayor John Kinnaird said.
The MS-4 permit creates guidelines for the municipalities involved but requires ongoing, continued reporting and documentation by towns and municipalities in order to remain in compliance with the permit. MS-4 permits operate as a point-based system. The first phase of the program includes the documentation of activities implemented by the Town that fall into the following categories: Public Education and Outreach, Public Involvement and Participation, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control, Post Construction Management, Pollution and Good Housekeeping.
At the start of the Town’s permit, the Town had identified five storm water basins to be retrofitted by 2025; however, the Frederick County Soil Conservation District notified the Town this past summer that the current projects may not be approved. Town staff met with the agencies involved and decided to change their plans to control storm water runoff from micropool basins to submerged gravel wetlands.
A submerged gravel wetland is a small-scale filter using wetland plants and rocks to provide quality water treatment. Runoff drains into the wetland into the submerged gravel and is distributed throughout the system. Pollutant removal is achieved through biological uptake from algae and bacteria growing within the rocks. Wetland plants provide additional nutrient uptake. This type of practice can work well in areas that have poorly draining soils or a high water table. A submerged gravel wetland differs from micropool basins. A micropool is a small, wet pool placed in front of the outlet structure, installed at a stormwater extended detention basin. The outlet structure is often composed of a vertical perforated plate and a top horizontal grate to release the water in the basin over a long period of time.
"This is a project that we’ve been talking about for a long time, and it’s nice to see it coming into fruition and that we know it’s going to move forward," Kinnaird said. Residents can find more ways to get involved or more information on the Town website’s MS4 webpage.
