Applying Integrated Planning Framework to Water Quality Compliance: Users Guide for Developing an Alternatives Analysis and Integrated Water Plan

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established the Integrated Planning Framework in June of 2012 as a response to the economic and environmental consequences that have become common place for municipalities resulting from regulatory inflexibility related to Clean Water Act compliance. The Integrated Planning Framework specifically arose out of discussions regarding sewer overflow enforcement actions. It is, however, applicable to other compliance issues associated with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for municipal wastewater and stormwater discharges, implementation plans for total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), and other Clean Water Act compliance challenges. Recently completed research for the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation (WE&RF), which consisted of a community insight survey and case studies, was combined with best professional judgment of the research team and the team’s reviewers to produce a Users’ Guide. The purpose of the Users’ Guide (which was still under development at time of submittal) is to help municipalities learn about integrated planning and, if applicable, assemble the appropriate information to begin the integrated planning process. The Users’ Guide provides a considerations tool (to determine if integrated planning may or may not be a good fit for a community or whether more information is needed), resource pages for each of the six elements that EPA expects to see in an integrated plan, and appendices that provide advice and discuss drivers, obstacles to integrated planning, and secondary benefits.