Water Resource Protection | Stormwater
Stormwater finds its way into surface water via two main pathways--storm sewers and runoff. It can pick up pollution from a variety of sources such as oil in parking lots, sediment from construction sites, bacteria from failing septic systems, and fertilizers and pesticides from farmlands. According to EPA, stormwater is the second leading pollution source of water quality impairment for lakes and estuaries and the third leading pollution source for rivers.
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Program was established in 1987 to aid in the monitoring and control of pollutants reaching surface waters via storm sewers. Phase I of the program required permit coverage for stormwater discharges from construction sites greater than five acres, ten different categories of industrial activities, and municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) serving populations of 100,000 or more. In December 2002, Phase II went into effect, requiring permit coverage for construction activities on 1-5 acre sites, certain industrial facilities not covered by Phase I regulations, and small MS4s that are located in urbanized areas, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, or meet designation criteria established by EPA or states.
To help our member states implement these complex and stringent requirements, NEIWPCC's Stormwater Workgroup, established in 2001, meets three times per year. Comprised of state and EPA staff, the workgroup provides an opportunity for the states to share information on permit development and implementation.
One project initiated by the Stormwater Workgroup was NEIWPCC's Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Manual, a resource to help municipalities comply with one of the requirements of EPA's NPDES Phase II stormwater regulations. To download the manual, click here (745KB) or visit our Publications page. Download the manual (745 KB) or visit our Publications page.
For more information, please contact Monica Kacprzyk, the coordinator of our Stormwater Workgroup.