State departments of transportation (DOTs) operate drainage systems that include ditches, channels, culverts, and storm sewers to manage stormwater and runoff. These systems can also carry pollutants from road surfaces to natural waterways. Agencies that operate urban stormwater drainage systems need to develop and implement detailed plans for reducing pollutant levels in the runoff they discharge. They must also obtain permits that detail the requirements included in their plans, mandate annual reporting to the governing regulatory agency, and require documentation of compliance activities. Many DOTs rely on hardcopy forms to document compliance with regulations regarding stormwater management, but this approach has limitations. One challenge in particular is producing reliable records demonstrating that stormwater discharge points were inspected often enough. In addition, physical access to hardcopy forms may be restricted when forms are stored in one site and needed in another, and exchange of documents among DOT staff can be time consuming. This article details how the Texas DOT (TxDOT) recently met these challenges by developing an electronic, automated tool that collects, stores, and retrieves information on compliance with stormwater regulations. According to TxDOT officials, the Outfall Tracking System will streamline annual reporting, facilitate field survey and inspection work, reduce compliance costs, provide greater access to information on drainage systems, improve distribution and delegation of permit compliance duties, and create a framework for automating and tracking compliance in the future.
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