Overview
Relevant Activities
Role of Local Governments
U.S. EPA Resources
Other Resources
States
Other Federal Agencies & Programs
Associations for Local Officials
Funding & Financing
When rainwater runs off the sides of buildings and over parking lots and other impervious urban areas, it picks up and transports pollutants. In times of heavy rainfall, sanitary sewer systems may not have the capacity to hold all the water entering the system, which results in sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) and combined sewer overflows (CSOs). These events often result in the discharge of sewage and pollutants to nearby surface waters, which may violate state or federal law. However, many local governments lack the financial and technical resources necessary to address these issues. The resulting noncompliance with regulations designed to address wet weather pollution can further increase the burden on these local governments.
- Precipitation Management & Preparation
- Bridges, Roads, and Other Infrastructure Construction & Maintenance
Under the federal Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program controls water pollution by regulating sources of pollution that discharge into waters of the United States. Under the NPDES stormwater program, operators of large, medium and regulated small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) require authorization to discharge pollutants. Phase I, promulgated in 1990, requires medium and large MS4 operators (those serving populations of 100,000 or more) to submit comprehensive permit applications for individual permits. Regulated small MS4 operators have the option of choosing to be covered by an individual permit, a general permit, or a modification of an existing Phase I MS4's individual permit.
Local governments involved in construction projects also need to comply with stormwater construction rules. Stormwater runoff from construction activities can have a significant impact on water quality by contributing sediment and other pollutants to creeks, streams, lakes, etc. Federal regulations relating to the NPDES Stormwater Permit Program require operators of certain sized construction projects to obtain authorization to discharge stormwater under a NPDES construction stormwater permit. The Phase II Stormwater regulations, which became effective March 2003, require construction activities that disturb one or more acres of land to obtain NPDES permit coverage.
Although stormwater regulations are federal rules, they are implemented by state environmental agencies (except for Massachusetts, New Mexico, Alaska, Idaho, and New Hampshire where EPA retains authority).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Resources
- NPDES Training Courses and Workshops. Offers training courses, workshops, and webcasts to explain the regulatory framework and technical considerations of the NPDES Permit program.
- Stormwater Discharges From Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s). Under the NPDES stormwater program, operators of large, medium, and regulated small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) require authorization to discharge pollutants under an NPDES permit.
- Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activities. The NPDES Stormwater program requires operators of construction sites one acre or larger (including smaller sites that are part of a larger common plan of development) to obtain authorization to discharge stormwater under an NPDES construction stormwater permit.
- Environmental Finance Center Integrated Planning for Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater. Provides recordings of past workshops, access to future events, opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange and other guidance on Element 4 of the EPA's integrated planning process.
- Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU). This EPA initiative assists water sector utilities and stakeholders by providing practical tools, training, and technical assistance needed to increase resilience to climate change.
- Integrated Planning Implementation Document for Water and Wastewater Utilities. Guidance for municipalities seeking to improve their planning processes for water infrastructure.
- Construction Industry Compliance Assistance. This resource is designed to help local governments understand and comply with construction industry rules, including stormwater.
- National Menu of Best Management Practices for NPDES Storm Water Phase II. Fact sheets that describe BMPs that can be used to fulfill the 6 minimum measures described in the Storm Water Phase II Rule.
- Economic Benefits Of Runoff Controls. This Environmental Protection Agency report discusses two types of structural controls that have been documented as providing economic benefits: urban runoff ponds and constructed wetlands.
- Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) Fact Sheet. This Environmental Protection Agency fact sheet explains what SSOs are, why they occur, what health risks they pose, and how they can be prevented.
- Compendium of MS4 Permitting Approaches: Part 6 Green Infrastructure. A snapshot of permit provisions for green infrastructure to manage stormwater discharge; includes examples of MS4 permits.
- Compendium of MS4 Permitting Approaches: Part 7 Off-Site Stormwater Management. Includes examples for permit writers seeking to expand municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits to incorporate off-site stormwater management provisions.
- Green Infrastructure Valuation Guide. Report by the Center for Neighborhood Technology quantifies the economic value of green infrastructure. This tool is meant to help municipalities adopt cost-effective stormwater management techniques.
- Storm Water Strategies: Community Responses to Runoff Pollution. Natural Resources Defense Council report documenting some of the most effective strategies being employed by local governments around the country to control urban runoff pollution.
- The State of Public Sector Green Infrastructure Report. Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange report which synthesizes responses from 50 stormwater management organizations across the nation that evaluate the efficacy of existing green infrastructure and offers recommendations for local governments seeking to scale their green stormwater infrastructure.
- Community-enabled Lifecycle Analysis of Stormwater Infrastructure Costs (CLASIC). Interactive online tool that assesses lifecycle costs, performance and co-benefits of green, hybrid green-gray and gray infrastructure options. Allows users to combine different options to create various scenarios and review their associated costs and benefits.
- Construction Stormwater Resource Locator. This resource is designed to help with questions regarding stormwater permits and other requirements.
- Industrial Stormwater State Resource Locator. Find stormwater permit forms and guidance documents for industrial facilities and people to contact in your state agency for additional assistance.
- United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Dashboard. Interactive mapping tool that utilizes the USGS database of water data.
- Adapting Stormwater Management for Coastal Floods. Step-by-step guidance for developing climate-resilient, flood-prepared stormwater infrastructure by understanding, assessing, and analyzing your current system and local flood projections.
Associations for Local Officials
-
National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA). An organization of public agencies whose function is the protection of lives, property, and economic activity from the adverse impacts of storm and flood waters.
For more information on funding and financing programs and options for stormwater, please see the Wastewater and Stormwater section of LGEAN's Funding & Financing page.