Regulations for new water quality regulations took effect in August 2003 that included a new E. coli standard and phased out the fecal coliform standard.
Although this change has implications for the Four Mile Run TMDL and subsequent Implementation Plan, they are technical in nature and do not substantially impact potential restoration efforts. Recent monitoring data shows that when fecal coliform levels are elevated above the standard, E. coli levels are also elevated above the new E. coli standard. The reciprocal has also been true.
1997 Water Quality Monitoring, Information and Restoration Act (WQ MIRA) requires all TMDLs be followed by an Implementation Plan (IP).
An IP outlines action items along with the party responsible to accomplish the water pollution budget established in the TMDL. NVRC, DEQ, and Four Mile Run stakeholders formed a steering committee, which included the four watershed jurisdictions, non-profit organizations, and state agencies.
The group, called the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), held its first meeting on May 27, 2003. Through their insights, NVRC and DEQ worked to determine what strategies were feasible and those that were not. The final Implementation Plan reflects the breadth of those strategies.