New CT Guidelines on Soil Erosion, Sediment Control, and Stormwater
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) and the Connecticut Council on Soil and Water Conservation released the revised Connecticut Guidelines for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control and the Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual. The effective date for these guidance documents is March 30, 2024.
The new Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual replaces the 2004 Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual. Unlike the 2004 Manual, which did not integrate Low Impact Development (LID) into Stormwater Management, the new manual makes LID the first and most important step in the stormwater planning process. Simultaneously, CT DEEP released the General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4), effective October 1, 2023. Municipalities that are subject to the MS4 general permit are required to adhere to the 2024 Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual and comply with its Low Impact Development planning process. LID planning is not an optional procedure under the new Manual and municipalities with general permits should include or update references to these documents in their local regulations.