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MUNICIPAL STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE MAPS, STORMWATER MASTER PLANS, AND ILLICIT DISCHARGE DETECTION AND ELIMINATION (IDDE) REPORTS

neon green water flowing from a stormwater pipe into a large body of water

In 2000, the Vermont Legislature required DEC to implement a statewide program to promote detection and elimination of improper or illegal connections and discharges. Illicit discharges are discharges of wastewater or industrial process water into a stormwater-only drainage system. The Legislature's intent was to expand illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) efforts from the communities—all in the greater Burlington area—required to perform IDDE in compliance with the EPA’s Phase 2 Stormwater Rule to encompass all developed areas of the Vermont. Following the Legislature's mandate, DEC has assisted municipalities not subject to the Phase 2 Stormwater Rule by mapping drainage systems and performing IDDE.  This work, funded through CWIP ecosystem restoration grants, USEPA Section 319, Supplemental Environmental Fines and the Lake Champlain Basin Program, has been completed for all major urbanized areas in the Missisquoi, Lamoille, Winooski (outside the greater Burlington area), Otter, Poultney, Passumpsic Rivers,  the Lake Memphremagog Basin, and the Connecticut River Basin, and the Hoosic River Basin. .  It is ongoing in the West-Williams-Saxton-Lower Connecticut River, Deerfield and Hoosic River Basins.  

About one-hundred and seventy six communities have had GIS (Geographic Information System) drainage maps completed. Stone Environmental, Watershed Consulting Associates and Aldrich-Elliott Engineers in conjunction with several watershed associations (Memphremagog Watershed Association, Friends of the Winooski River and Friends of the Mad River) have or are currently conducting IDDE surveys in forty-four non-designated MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) communities. Consultants have identified 5,091 discharge points, 1,468 of which were flowing when inspected. A wastewater source was indicated at 243 discharge points. Other types of contamination included petroleum, treated drinking water, heated water, pet waste, mop water, paint and road salt. By combining drainage mapping, environmental investigative work, and municipal cooperation, this effort has eliminated numerous wastewater discharges, decreasing phosphorus by an estimated 275 kg per year to Lake Champlain, and reducing the risk of pathogen exposure. 

Stormwater Master Plans (SWMP) have been completed for about 70 geographic areas including watersheds, subwatersheds, towns and villages.  Available plans can be found below and are posted  by the Town Name in which they are located.

Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination

Status of Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Project:
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Project - Status Map (381 KB JPG)

Presentation - August 2021:
Presentation: Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Project

Presentation -October 2012:
Vermont IDDE Project-Center for Watershed Protection Stormwater and Watershed Conference (3.97 MB PDF)

Program reports:

August 2001
Characterization of Outfalls on the Winooski River in Montpelier (1.24 MB PDF)

December 2003
Characterization of Outfalls to the Winooski River and Tributaries in Barre City (708 KB PDF) 

March 2007
Detection and Elimination of Non-Stormwater Discharges to the Streams of the City of Barre (870 KB PDF) 

July 2009
Detection and Elimination of Non-Stormwater Discharges to the North Branch, Dog River and the Stevens Branch of the Winooski River in Montpelier, Berlin and Northfield (4.2 MB PDF)

February, 2011
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination in Richmond, Waterbury, Moretown, and Waitsfield (3869 KB PDF)

March, 2011
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination in Six Missisquoi River Basin Communities (3271 KB PDF)
Appendices to IDDE in Six Missisquoi River Basin Communities (10.5 MB PDF)

January, 2012
Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination in Brattleboro (6575 KB PDF)

December, 2012
City and Town of St. Albans Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination(IDDE) Study (7.7 MB PDF)

January, 2013
Town of Springfield Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Study (15 MB PDF)

September, 2013
Assessment of stormwater system outfalls in Marshfield, VT (1.1 MB PDF)
Detection of illicit discharge from stormwater system outfalls in Plainfield, VT(1.4 MB PDF)
Monitoring of stormwater system outfalls in Cabot, VT(850 KB PDF)

March 2014
Detecting and Eliminating Illicit Discharges in Rutland County to Improve Water Quality (Castleton, Fair Haven, Poultney, Proctor, Wallingford and West Rutland) (11 MB PDF)

May 2014
Otter Creek Basin Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Project (10 MB PDF)

July 2014
Detecting and Eliminating Illicit Discharges to Improve Water Quality in the Lamoille River Basin (10 MB PDF)

October 2014
Missisquoi River Basin & St. Albans City & Town Advanced Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Study (1.2 MB PDF)
Appendix A (2.8 MB PDF)
Appendix B (10 MB PDF)
Appendix C-H (5.6 MB PDF)

August 2015
Detecting and Eliminating Illicit Discharges to Improve Water Quality in the Lake Memphremagog Basin (Barton, Orleans, Brighton, Newport City, Derby, Derby Line and Derby Village) (6.7 MB PDF)
 

August 2015
Detecting and Eliminating Illicit Discharges in St. Johnsbury to Improve Water Quality (9.2 MB PDF)

January 2016
Final Report Bennington and Pawlet IDDE Study
A-1 - Bennington and Pawlet - Results Summary Table
A-2 -Bennington and Pawlet - Mapbook

February 2016
Lake Memphremagog Basin Additional Advanced Investigations

February 2016
Detecting and Eliminating Illicit Discharges in the Stevens Branch Watershed and Stowe

January 2017
Detecting and Eliminating Illicit Discharges in the Upper and Middle Connecticut River Basin: Final Report

April 2018
Upper Winooski River Basin Illicit Discharge  Detection and Elimination Project: Final report

September 2018
White River Basin - Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Study - Final Report - September 2018 
WhiteRiver IDDE Stream Points - July 2018

January 2019
Advanced Illicit Discharge Investigations in the Lamoille River, Otter Creek, and Poultney River Basins Final Report

January 2019
Statewide Contract No 2 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Study: Final Report

April 2019
Detecting and Eliminating Illicit Discharges in Basin 10: Final Report

January 2020
Detecting and Eliminating Illicit Discharges in Montpelier: Final Report

February 2020
Detecting and Eliminating Illicit Discharges in Basin 11

June 2020
Detecting and Eliminating Illicit Discharges in Basin 1 & 12 Phase 1

March 2021
Statewide Contract No 3 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Study: Final Report
Appendix 1- Small_Towns_IDDE_MasterTable
Appendix 2- TownbyTown_Tables
Appendix 3- Advanced Investigation Maps

November 2023
Statewide Contract No 4 Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Study: Final Report

Town Stormwater Mapping and Stormwater Master Planning Reports

Status of Stormwater Mapping Project:

Status Map-Stormwater Mapping Project (373 KB JPG)

Stormwater Infrastructure Data Availability:
The geographic information systems stormwater infrastructure data used in these reports is available for download thru the Vermont Center for Geographic Information Systems and as a webmap.  Please note that the VCGI database is updated once per year with data collected in the preceding year so some data illustrated in these reports may not be available through VCGI.  All data used in these reports is also available from the VTDEC Ecosystem Restoration Section. Please contact david.ainley@vermont.gov.
We also provide printable 24 X 36 inch maps of our work in the towns listed below, please click on the town of interest.

Town stormwater mapping reports:

Addison
Albany
Alburgh
Arlington
Bakersfield 
Barnard
Barnet
Barre City 
Barre Town
Barton
Bennington
Benson
Berkshire
Berlin 
Bethel
Bloomfield
Bolton
Bradford
Braintree
Brandon
Brattleboro
Bridgewater
Bridport
Brighton
Bristol
Burke
Burlington
Cabot
Calais
Cambridge
Canaan
Castleton
Cavendish
Charleston
Charlotte
Chelsea
Chester
Clarendon
Colchester
Concord
Corinth
Coventry
Craftsbury
Danby
Danville
Derby
Dorset
Dover
Dummerston
Duxbury
East Montpelier
Eden
Enosburg Falls
Essex
Fair Haven
Fairfax
Fairfield
Fairlee
Fayston
Ferrisburgh
Franklin
Georgia
Glover
Grafton
Granville
Greensboro
Groton
Guildhall
Guilford
Hancock
Hardwick
Hartford
Hartland
Highgate
Hinesburg
Hubbardton
Huntington
Hyde Park
Ira
Irasburg
Jamaica
Jay
Jericho
Johnson
Killington
Lincoln
Londonderry
Lowell
Ludlow
Lunenburg
Lyndon
Manchester
Marlboro
Marshfield
Mendon
Middlebury
Middlesex
Middletown Springs
Milton
Montgomery
Montpelier
Moretown
Morristown
Mount Holly
New Haven
Newbury
Newfane
Newport Center
Newport City
North Hero
Northfield
Norwich
Orleans
Orwell
Pawlet
Peru
Pittsfield
Pittsford
Plainfield
Plymouth
Poultney
Pownal
Proctor
Putney
Randolph
Reading
Readsboro
Richford
Richmond
Rochester
Rockingham
Roxbury
Royalton
Rupert
Rutland City
Rutland Town
Ryegate
Sandgate
Shaftsbury
Sharon
Sheffield
Shelburne
Sheldon
Shoreham
Shrewsbury
South Burlington
South Hero
Springfield
St. Albans City
St. Albans Town
St. Johnsbury
Stamford
Starksboro
Stowe
Strafford
Stratton
Sunderland
Swanton
Thetford
Topsham
Townshend
Troy
Tunbridge
Underhill
Vergennes
Vernon
Vershire
Waitsfield
Wallingford
Wardsboro
Warren
Washington
Waterbury
Waterville
Weathersfield
West Fairlee
West Rutland
West Windsor
Westminster
Weston
Wheelock
Whitingham
Williamstown
Williston
Wilmington
Windsor
Winhall
Winooski
Wolcott
Woodbury
Woodford
Woodstock
Worcester