The Promise and Practicality of Integrated Planning and Permitting: A New England Perspective

As municipal water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities face increased regulatory pressure, rising costs to comply, and tighter operating budgets to maintain assets, these organizations are naturally excited about the prospects of integrated methods to comply with clean water compliance regulations.The traditional approaches to solving water quality problems are increasingly faced with diminishing returns on investment, and it is clear that only through integrated Clean Water Act (CWA) planning will communities be able to afford clean water compliance and achieve watershed restoration obligations.An integrated water resources planning approach would ideally encompass point source municipal stormwater and wastewater treatment and collection system management and non-point sources. An integrated plan should focus on creating cost savings, achievable capital renewal plans, and operations investments, balanced and equitable rate and fee structures, collaboration between stakeholders and regulatory entities, improved receiving water quality, and sustainable utility systems.However, with the obligation to engage multiple stakeholders in integrated planning and permitting, the challenges of addressing multiple regulatory mandates across a myriad of planning, engineering, and natural resource interests take on a new set of challenges that push beyond traditional engineered solutions.This presentation will explore examples where Woodard & Curran and Pierce Atwood LLP are helping communities in New England evaluate integrated approaches to improving receiving water quality and will highlight what we see as a few non-engineering challenges that will require solutions for integrated planning to fulfill its promise.