Environmental Stewardship

GOAL

Establish Lynchburg Water Resources as the community leader in environmental education and stewardship.

We are a recognized leader in community and water resource sustainability. Water resource planning and management must be integrated with other critical infrastructure as well as social and economic development efforts. It is critical that we collaborate with stakeholders to enhance community sustainability and livability. We also strive to understand and optimize the impacts of our total water cycle - source water, stormwater runoff, and wastewater treatment - to meet our future community and ecological needs. We can enhance these efforts through minimized waste and improved efficiency.

ES-1: Evaluate and implement environmentally responsible operations at each of our facilities and in our operations through increased energy efficiency, waste reduction, and recycling programs. Initiatives:

1. Evaluate and sustainably optimize equipment operating procedures and replacement programs. 2. Develop and implement a green facilities program. 3. Develop and implement a sustainable construction materials management program. 4. Incorporate green design and process optimization in project designs and department programs when possible. 5. Develop and implement an environmentally sustainable purchasing program. 6. Enhance the department’s standard operating procedures to be more environmentally focused.

ES-2: Raise community awareness of the importance of environmental stewardship and conservation.

Initiatives:

1. Increase both internal and external partnership opportunities to foster positive environmental impacts in the community. 2. Create consistent environmental awareness campaigns to raise awareness about water, wastewater, and stormwater related issues. 3. Develop an internal environmental education program. 4. Effectively utilize the department website and social media as a resource to promote our environmental programs. 5. Develop and offer K-12 program curriculum correlated to Virginia Standards of Learning.

ES-3: Environmental programs meet and exceed state and federal environmental regulations.

Initiatives:

1. Develop and implement strategic Total Maximum Daily

Load (TMDL) action plans that meet and/or exceed water quality goals. 2. Under the Virginia Environmental Excellence Program, achieve

Environmental Enterprise (E2) status at the Lynchburg Regional

Wastewater Treatment Plant. 3. Evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of control measures identified in the City’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) Permit. 4. Develop watershed master plans that optimally address water quality and infrastructure needs with available capital resources. 5. Incorporate green infrastructure in capital projects for building and buried infrastructure when possible 6. Develop nutrient based credit program for City projects.