As new U.S. EPA stormwater regulations take effect in March, public fear over the rapid spread of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus is directing the spotlight on stormwater controls and the role they might be playing as potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Under the new regulations, small and mid-sized communities will now join cities in developing and implementing programs to curb stormwater runoff. Controls can include anything from retention ponds and drainage ditches to artificially created wetlands and rain gardens.

Retention ponds, however, are the most common control that communities use to address stormwater, and tens of thousands exist nationwide, according to EPA officials. Because they are typically designed to allow collected water to drain slowly, often holding water for days, it’s logical that they may be creating potential habitat for mosquitoes to breed, admits Normand Goulet, senior environmental planner for the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. As a result, local officials are finding it harder to gain public acceptance for new retention ponds, or any other stormwater structure that involves standing water. “There have been some who [suggest] we should be draining wetlands,” says Julie Sibbing, with the National Wildlife Federation.

But is there a connection between West Nile virus and stormwater management? “Right now, there are more questions than answers,” Goulet says, adding, “as much as we want to minimize stormwater aspects, there could be severe [environmental] consequences.” For example, without these controls, erosion and nonpoint source pollutant loadings to streams would be much higher.

“There continues to be a tremendous amount of value associated with the use of these ponds in terms of stormwater treatment, as well as other benefits such as flood control,” agrees Benjamin Grumbles, deputy assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. EPA will continue to promote their use, but plans to offer more guidance on proper design, construction, operation, and maintenance over the coming months, Grumbles says.

Goulet says his agency is also undergoing “a whole rethink towards complete ecosystems,” something that pleases environmentalists. “If you’ve got flowing water and a good, diverse ecosystem in that wet pond, you’re not going to have a problem with mosquitoes” as natural predators help to control their populations, Goulet says. “West Nile is here to stay, and we’re going to have to learn to live with it and learn how to control it.” —KRIS CHRISTEN