Water Quality

The quality of our water in Chittenden County is a fundamental part of providing clean drinking water, supporting our recreation and tourism industry, and becoming more resilient to flood events. The CCRPC assists our member municipalities and the state in working together to achieve these goals.

SEE BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION ON:
COMMITTEES »
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES »
INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES »
EXAMPLE RIVER CORRIDOR OVERLAY DISTRICT »

COMMITTEES

CCRPC Clean Water Advisory Committee & MS-4 Sub-Committee

The Clean Water Advisory Committee (CWAC) oversees the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission activities and policy development regarding but not limited to, the Vermont Lake Champlain Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Plan and its related plans and programs. The CWAC also has an MS-4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) Sub-Committee consisting of representatives of the nine municipalities and three agencies as part of their Public Education, Outreach, Participation and Involvement permit requirements.

For all information related to the Clean Water Advisory Committee and the MS-4 Sub-Committee, including meeting agendas and minutes, please visit the committee page »

2017 CCRPC Water Quality Funding Committee (ad hoc)

CCRPC established an ad hoc Water Quality Funding Committee to review and draft recommendations for consideration by the CCRPC regarding the report recommending how to fund water quality improvements in the state over the long term. This report was delivered to the Legislature and is was prepared by the Office of the State Treasurer, in partnership with the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Department of Taxes and other state agencies.

Meeting # 2: January 23, 2017, 3:30pm – CCRPC Small Conference Room

• Agenda »
• Comments »
• Minutes »

Meeting # 1: December 7, 2016, 8:00am – CCRPC Small Conference Room

• Agenda »
• Clean Water Costs »
• Minutes »

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES 

There are a variety of funding sources available for water quality planning and construction. Visit this page for an overview of funding sources from DEC.

INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES

Road Erosion Inventory Segment Compliance Dashboard »
Municipalities are required to conduct road erosion inventories of their hydrologically connected roads by the Municipal Roads General Permit. CCRPC has conducted these inventories on behalf of our municipalities and built a dashboard that allows users to interact with the results of the road erosion inventories.

Vermont Green Streets Guide »
This guide describes a linear process of Green Street design and build, from envisioning, to planning, to design, to maintenance, and to monitoring. Other green streets resources are also available on the site.

Vermont Clean Water Initiative: Act 64, Lake Champlain Phosphorus TMDL and Vermont’s Clean Water Goals (Presentation) »
Updated and presented to the CCRPC March 2016.

An Assessment of the Economic Value of Clean Water in Lake Champlain »
The regional economy, quality of life and tourism rely on clean water in Lake Champlain and its surrounding basin. This project, funded by an agreement awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency to the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program, explored elements of the relationship between water quality and property valuation, tourism expenditures and regional economic activity at various scales.

Rethink Runoff »
Rethink Runoff helps communities consider the impact of stormwater runoff in Chittenden County. Excess water from rain or snowmelt flows over surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets picks up pollutants such as oil and grease, chemicals, nutrients, metals and bacteria, flowing into stormwater systems or directly to the lake, streams, rivers or wetlands.

Chittenden County ECOS Plan Chapter 2.2 – Natural Systems »
See ECOS Plan sections 2.2.1 (Ecological Systems) and 2.2.2 (Scenic, Recreational, and Historic Resources) for specific details on goals relating to water quality.

Chittenden County ECOS Plan Water Quality Indicators »
A sustainable community preserves natural systems in order to maintain quality of soil, air and water and because they offer a richness that nurtures the human spirit. Healthy landscapes are necessary to sustain the complex myriad of plant and animal species that share our habitat. We are dependent on the surrounding landscapes for many resources such as food, water and fuel; for recreational opportunities and aesthetic values; and for vital natural processes such as water retention and recycling, air cleansing, carbon sequestration, and nutrient cycling. Preservation of our natural systems can help guide new growth into existing developed areas. In addition, a network of healthy natural systems and green infrastructure can make very important contributions to the overall prosperity of the region. Visit the ECOS Scorecard to view specific indicators that track Chittenden County’s water quality trends and data.

Chittenden County ECOS Natural Resources Analysis Report » 
The information from this report was used to help establish indicators and key issues in the ECOS Plan.

TMDL Information »
A TMDL or Total Maximum Daily Load is the calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet Vermont Water Quality Standards.

Flood Ready Vermont »
All over the state, select board members, planning commission members, town officials, planners, and citizens are working to make our communities flood resilient.

Clean Water Vermont »
The new Vermont Clean Water Initiative – Clean Water Vermont – reflects an exciting and growing collaboration among municipalities, state agencies, local and regional partners, farmers, businesses and the public to take action that will safeguard the public’s access to clean and safe water throughout the state.

United States Environmental Protection Agency »
The EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment.

A model to build on: City of South Burlington River Corridor Overlay District

With some minor assistance from the Chittenden County RPC and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, in 2019 the City of South Burlington developed and adopted new elements for its Land Development Regulations to establish a River Corridor Overlay District.

The new Overlay District establishes river corridor protection standards for all major watercourses and streams with watersheds greater than 2 acres in the City. The bylaw limits development and redevelopment throughout the mapped stream and river corridors of the City. The primary purpose is to limit development in areas most prone to future hazard from natural shifts in the river corridors.

View the South Burlington River Corridor Overlay District Bylaw »

If you are interested in exploring a River Corridor bylaw for your municipality, CCRPC can provide assistance. Please contact Dan Albrecht, CCRPC Senior Planner, at (802) 846-4490 x *29.

CONTACT

For more information on Water Quality, please contact Dan Albrecht, CCRPC Senior Planner, at (802) 846-4490 x 129.