Johnson County Community College
Installation and Maintenance of Stormwater Treatment Best Management Practices
Water pollution degrades surface waters making them unsafe for drinking, fishing, swimming,
and other activities. As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the EPA’s National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program controls water pollution by regulating
point sources, such as pipes or man-made ditches, which discharge pollutants into water. To
reduce pollution caused by storm water runoff, and help meet the NPDES permit requirements,
experts have developed best management practices (BMPs). These include bioretention areas,
rain gardens and native landscaping.
Most of the 22 cities that make up Johnson County manage their own stormwater runoff systems.
The cities attempt to follow BMPs and adhere to NPDES permit requirements, but often struggle
to do so because of a lack of experience in proper installation and maintenance. As a result,
projects may not pass code. The inevitable rework costs valuable time and money. A need for
training is evident.
In May 2011, the cities approached the county for help. The county then approached Johnson
County Community College (JCCC) to partner on an in-depth training. A committee was formed
made up of county, municipal, and industry leaders. A list of key issues was developed from
both the city and designer perspectives. The committee identified local experts in the field,
including a Stormwater Specialist, Environmental Scientist, Landscape Architect, Construction
Manager, City Planner, Public Works Manager, and Nursery Manager. These individuals were
approached and asked to develop curriculum and be the instructors for the training. The outcome
was the 2-day "Installation and Maintenance of Stormwater Treatment Best Management
Practices" seminar. Topics included BMPs for Bidding, Installation, Native Plant Education,
Plant Placement, Maintenance, and Public Education. A $10,000 grant from the Johnson County
Stormwater Management Program paid for the curriculum development and instructor
presentation fees. This helped keep the registration fee low therefore allowing companies to
commit during a tough economic time.
As part of the 2 day seminar, participants were able to see direct examples of what they were
learning, as the JCCC campus was the perfect showcase. JCCC has over 2 million square feet of
impermeable parking surfaces on campus. During every rain and snow-melt event, flowing water
carries vehicle pollutants and litter into storm drains that lead to Johnson County’s waterways. In
an effort to ensure that the water flowing off campus surfaces is a cleaner contribution to the area
watersheds, JCCC completed its first stormwater management project in the southeast quadrant
of campus in August 2010. The project allows water runoff from nearly 438,000 square feet, or
about 21 percent, of the campus’s impervious parking and driving surfaces to drain to a
constructed wetland on the south side of the parking areas. Before entering the wetland, the
stormwater runoff filters through a sequence of treatment systems, planted with native vegetation
and designed to treat diverse pollutants, including manufactured filtration tanks, bioswales and
bioretention cells. The wetland, incorporating native plants to promote ecological activity and
provide habitat for animals and beneficial microbes, is used for student education and for the
community as a recreational and learning environment. JCCC students test the quality of water
as the water goes through the entire system, and an interpretive sign describes the system to the
public. The project was awarded as the 2011 American Public Works Project of the Year in the
Environment Category from by APWA Kansas City Metro Chapter and was honored by the MidAmerican Regional Council as a Sustainable Success Story in 2010.
The first "Installation and Maintenance of Stormwater Treatment Best Management Practices"
seminar was held December 15-16, 2011. Participants paid $149 for both days or $99 if they
came for only one day. In addition, a special rate of $99 (2-day)/$49 (1-day) was given to
employees of municipalities who served on the planning committee.
Metrics
 67 participants
 Revenue generated = $6,749
 Expenses = $1,323
 Income generated = $5,426
Expenses were kept low for two primary reasons. First, as noted above, a grant covered the
content development and instructor fees. Second, promotional costs were minimal because the
members of the planning committee were open with their email contact lists. As such, a majority
of the brochures were sent electronically, therefore reducing print and postage costs.
Additional Benefits
JCCC established relationships key contacts with county, city and industry leaders. Our Contract
Sales department has communicated with each to discuss additional training needs.
Future
The need for this training continues to grow both in Johnson County and throughout the Greater
Kansas City metropolitan area. As such, the seminar will be held again in November 2013. To
meet this larger need JCCC is adding the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) as an
additional partner. MARC is a nonprofit association of city and county governments, and the
metropolitan planning organization for the bi-state Kansas City region serving 9 counties.
Many of the same presenters are coming back to share their expertise. In addition, several
participants from the training 2 years ago have been asked to come and share their experiences
implementing the BMPs they learned. The target is for 100 participants.