New York Sea Grant's
Marina Pollution Prevention Web Site

Section 5: Facility Management - Stormwater Runoff Management Practices

Potential Environmental Impacts

Stormwater runoff from parking lots and other developed surfaces represents a significant mode of pollutant transport from land-based activities to receiving waterbodies. The runoff from parking areas, buildings, repair yards, and access roads can carry nutrients, metals, suspended solids, hydrocarbons and other potential pollutants into marina basins. The highest concentration of these surface pollutants occurs in the runoff associated with the first half to one inch of rainfall depending on storm intensity. Stormwater that is treated in some way to remove pollutants before it reaches the marina basin minimizes impact to aquatic and marine life.

Properly managing storm water can be an involved process. More detailed information on BMP siting planning, selection and design can be found by clicking on the Related Resources and Information Button at the bottom of this page. Your regional state environmental protection agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, County Soil and Water Conservation District, or Sea Grant office can also provide additional information and assistance on storm water BMP planning and design

Non-structural Best Management Practices, "Good Housekeeping" Practices:

Perform as much boat repair and maintenance as practicable inside work buildings.

Where an inside workspace is not available, perform abrasive blasting and sanding within spray booths or tarp enclosures.

Where buildings or enclosed areas are not available, provide clearly designated land areas as far from the water's edge as possible for debris-producing maintenance. Collect as much maintenance debris on tarps, filter fabric, or paved surface.

Use vacuum sanders to collect dust and chips while removing paint from hulls. For manufacturers of dustless vacuum sander equipment, click here.

Establish a list of "yard rules" which do-it-yourselfers and contractors must follow when performing debris-producing boat maintenance.

Clean hull maintenance areas immediately after any maintenance is done to remove debris, and dispose of collected material properly.

Capture pollutants out of runoff water with permeable tarps, screens, and filter cloths.

Sweep or vacuum around hull maintenance areas, parking lots, and driveways frequently, where appropriate.

Store all potential pollutants such as pesticides, used oil containers, detergents, etc. under cover.

Structural Best Management Practices

Plant a vegetated filter strip or buffer between impervious areas and the marina basin. A vegetated filter strip is a densely vegetated strip of land engineered to accept runoff from upstream development as overland sheet flow. Designed properly, a filter strip can provide a recreational amenity for your customers and enhance the appeal of your facility. For more information on filter strips, click here.

Minimize impervious areas on marina site by paving only where absolutely necessary. Use porous pavement for parking lots and lightly traveled access roads, or other pervious materials such as gravel or crushed concrete.

Direct roof runoff to drywells or position downspouts so that they drain to vegetated areas. Avoid draining to concrete or asphalt.

Explore the feasibility of using new techniques and innovative products to capture, pre-treat, and filter the first flush of stormwater runoff before it can reach your basin. For more information on stormwater management strategies that may be suitable for your marina, click here. (Note: This file is relatively large (6 mb.) and may take considerable time to download depending on the speed of your connection.)

Use catch basins with deep sumps where stormwater flows to the marina basin in large pulses.

Install oil/grit separators to capture pollutants in runoff. Water from parking lots and other areas likely to have hydrocarbons should be directed through oil/grit separators before entering any other management structure (Note: this practice requires a lot of maintenance).

Maintain catch basins regularly. Typical maintenance of catch basins includes trash removal if a screen or other debris-capturing device is used, and removal of sediment by a hired contractor or on-site wet-vacuum system. At a minimum, catch basins should be cleaned at the beginning and end of each boating season.

Add filters to storm drains that are located near work areas to screen solid materials out of runoff.

Place absorbent materials in drain inlets to capture oil and grease.

Regulatory Issues

If there is a stormwater discharge from your facility you may have to register for a General Permit for the Discharge of Storm Water Associated with Industrial Activity ("Storm Water General Permit"). For more information on storm water permitting compliance requirements for marinas in New York, click here.

Marinas are required to develop a Storm Water Pollution Prevention (SWPP) plan for their facility and to update the plan periodically. For a copy of an example of a Storm Water Pollution Prevention plan for a hypothetical marina, click here for the pdf version of this file, or for a Word version of the plan that can be edited click here.