VIDEO: “Maximum Extent Practicable, or MEP, has become the definitional driver for a lot of what we do,” said Andy Reese, engineer and writer who coined the term Voodoo Hydrology in 2006 to explain the pitfalls inherent in urban drainage practice

Note to Reader:

MEP is the acronym for Maximum Extent Practicable. The federal Clean Water Act (CWA) provides that National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) must require municipalities to reduce pollutants in their storm water discharges to the MEP.

Andy Reese presents some ideas on the future of stormwater

Andrew Reese sees stormwater management going “back to the future” faster than a 1982 DeLorean with a “flux capacitor.” Even if you don’t get his clever reference to the Steven Spielberg movie, it suffices to say: Big changes are coming out of the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency when it comes to regulating pollutants in stormwater.

And, it turns out, mimicking nature with green infrastructure – not unlike the ditches and swales of the past – can not only provide a reliable means of meeting these new standards, but the return on investment could make even Hollywood blush.

To Learn More:

Andy Reese coined the term Voodoo Hydrology in 2006 to describe the misapplication of science that characterizes drainage engineering and stormwater management practice. He is a prominent and popular American water resources engineer, writer, speaker, and textbook author.

Visit Voodoo Hydrology: Andy Reese on ‘Pitfalls of Urban Hydrology Methods & What You Need to Know’