Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Sources-Resources
- Overview
- Developing an MS4 Program
- RESOURCES
Long-Term Stormwater Planning
- Community Solutions for Stormwater Management: A Guide for Voluntary Long-Term Planning - Guide to assist states and local governments in developing and implementing effective long-term stormwater plans. This document describes how to develop a comprehensive long-term community stormwater plan that integrates stormwater management with communities' broader plans for economic development, infrastructure investment and environmental compliance.
- Off-Site Stormwater Management - Information on potential flexibilities for managing post-construction stormwater off-site under certain circumstances.
Permit Resources
- Process for Issuing Small MS4 Permits - Describes the process for developing and administering small MS4 general permits for permit writers using either the comprehensive (one-step) or two-step approach. Includes flow diagram with key concepts and tips for issuing permits consistent with MS4 Remand Rule Regulations.
- Training and other resources for establishing clear, specific, and measurable permit conditions – Provides tips and best practices to assist permitting authorities in establishing clear, specific, measurable conditions in MS4 permits, as required in the Phase II regulations, as well as in all NPDES permits.
- MS4 Permits – Compendium of Clear, Specific and Measurable Permitting Examples – Features examples from existing MS4 permits of clear, specific, and measurable requirements.
-
Part 1: Six Minimum Control Measure Provisions - This compendium illustrates example permit provisions for the six minimum controls measures of the stormwater management plan that may qualify as “clear, specific, and measurable” requirements under the final MS4 General Permit Remand Rule.
-
Part 2: Post-Construction Standards - This compendium focused on retention-based, post-construction standards that address not only control of pollutant loads but at the same time reduce volume and velocity impacts of stormwater discharges.
-
Part 3: Water Quality-Based Requirements - This compendium identifies different ways existing state and EPA permits implement total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) through quantitative requirements or pollutant-specific management measures, or a combination of both; how permitting authorities measure progress of implementation of water quality-based requirements; and provides examples of water quality-based requirements related to discharges to impaired waters without approved TMDLs.
-
Part 4: Transportation Stormwater Permit - This compendium presents examples of different permitting approaches that specifically address linear, department of transportation (DOT) MS4s. The compendium also includes examples from MS4 permits that may not be specific to DOTs but address activities DOT systems typically encounter.
-
Part 5: Trash Stormwater Permit Compendium - This compendium provides examples of provisions in existing permits that address trash reduction in MS4 permits; presents information on best management practices (BMPs) in trash reduction; and presents two MS4 permit case studies showcasing clear, specific and measurable trash-related provisions and the related municipal floatables programs.
-
Part 6: Green Infrastructure Permit Compendium (pdf) - This compendium presents a variety of existing permitting approaches that encourage or require green infrastructure in municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits.
-
Compendium Part 7: Off-Site Stormwater Management (pdf) - This compendium presents examples illustrating how municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits can be written to allow for off-site stormwater management.
-
- Summary of State Stormwater Standards — Describes each state's regulatory program and performance standard for post-construction discharge from newly developed and redeveloped sites.
- Revisions to the November 22, 2002 Memorandum “Establishing Total Daily Load (TMDL) Wasteload Allocations (WLAs) for Stormwater Sources and NPDES Permit Requirements Based on Those WLAs” – Updates EPA’s 2002 memorandum on establishing TMDL wasteload allocations for stormwater sources.
- MS4 Permit Improvement Guide — Guide to assist permit writers in strengthening MS4 stormwater permits.
- Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program Evaluation Guidance — This guide is primarily for use by NPDES authorities to evaluate the quality of Phase I and Phase II MS4 programs, for permit compliance, technical assistance, and other purposes. It can be used for comprehensive program evaluations, or for certain components. It can also be used by MS4 program managers to evaluate their own programs.
- Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) and Stormwater — Provides information on waters listed for impairments from stormwater sources.
- TMDLs to Stormwater Permits Draft Handbook
- Integrated Municipal Wastewater and Wastewater Planning — An integrated planning process can identify a prioritized critical path to achieving the water qualtiy objectives of the Clean Water Act by identifying efficiencies in implementing competing requirements that arise from separate wastewater and stormwater projects.
- NPDES Compliance Monitoring Strategy — This strategy outlines inspection and compliance goals for the entire NPDES program, including stormwater. It places increased emphasis on wet weather issues, particularly stormwater sources, and sets ambitious targets for audits and inspections of Phase I and II MS4s, construction sites, and industrial facilities.
- Urbanized Area Maps for NPDES MS4 Phase II Stormwater Permits — Includes links to maps based on 2010 urbanized areas and the 2000 urbanized areas.
Fees and Funding
Federal Government and Stormwater Fees
- Federal Government Obligations to Pay Stormwater Fees — On January 4, 2011, President Obama signed into law "An Act to Amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify Federal responsibility for stormwater pollution," Pub. L. No. 111-378, 124 Stat 4128 (2011) to clarify that reasonable service charges payable by federal agencies, as described in section 313(a), include certain stormwater assessments.
- Memorandum Clarifying that New Legislation Provides for Stormwater Fees to be Paid from Current Lump-sum Appropriations — On March 18, 2011, the Department of Justice/Office of Legal Counsel released a memorandum to clarify that language in section 313(c)(2)(B) of the Clean Water Act contained in new legislation obligating federal agencies to pay stormwater managements fees does not impose a specific appropriation requirement. Stormwater assessments are payable from annual—including current—lump-sum appropriations.
Funding Sources and Resources
- Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) — This page describes funding options for a wide variety of water quality projects.
- Green Infrastructure Funding Opportunities — Learn about federal funding sources and comprehensive guides, case studies, and training materials that government and nonprofit organizations have developed as well as spreadsheet tools designed to help assess program costs and funding sources.
- Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center — This page serves as a resource to communities for improving their wastewater, drinking water, and stormwater systems, particularly through innovative financing and increased resiliency to climate change.
- Nonpoint Source Program and Grants Guidelines for States and Territories (pdf) — This page describes grant money that is available under section 319 of the Clean Water Act to states, territories, and Indian Tribes to support activities as part of an approved nonpoint source management program.
Fact Sheets and Guidance
- Funding Stormwater Programs — This fact sheet for municipalities provides information on alternatives for funding their stormwater programs.
- Guidance for Municipal Stormwater Funding — This document was developed in January 2006 by the National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies (NAFSMA) under a grant provided by EPA to provide funding guidance for stormwater utilities.
Training and Webcasts
EPA provides webcasts for stormwater professionals on the minimum control measures as well as joint EPA-Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) webcasts on transportation stormwater management.