What is Storm Water?

Storm water is water from precipitation that flows across the ground and pavement when it rains or when snow and ice melt. The water seeps into the ground or drains into storm sewers. These are the drains you see at street corners or at low points on the sides of your streets. Collectively, the draining water is called storm water runoff and is a concern to us in commercial and industrial sites as well as your neighborhood because of the pollutants it carries. Storm water that does not evaporate or seep into the ground drains into over 104 miles of underground storm sewer pipe that carry surface runoff to our creeks and four lakes. Every time it rains, thousands of gallons of storm water enter our storm sewer system. As the runoff flows across lawns, driveways, parking lots and streets, it collects pollutants.

The principal law governing pollution of the nation’s surface waters is the Federal Water Pollution Control Act or Clean Water Act. Originally enacted in 1948, it was revised by amendments in 1972 that gave the act its current shape. The Clean Water Act consists of two major parts, one being the provisions which authorize federal financial assistance for municipal sewage treatment plant construction. The other is the regulatory requirements that apply to industrial and municipal dischargers.

In 1987, amendments were made to the Clean Water Act requiring municipalities to obtain a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency as part of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) This permit, commonly referred to as "NPDES Phase II" requires municipalities the size of Lake in the Hills to meet specific requirements for storm water discharge. Included under the Storm Water Phase II regulations are municipalities that are located in urban areas as defined by the Census Bureau. These municipalities are required to obtain NPDES permit coverage of discharges from their municipal separate storm sewer systems.

What is the problem?

Today, non-point source pollution remains the nation's leading source of water quality problems. Approximately 40% of surveyed rivers, streams, and lakes, are not clean enough to meet requirements for basic uses such as fishing or swimming.

Storm water runoff is unlike many point source causes of water pollution. Because storm water pollution is caused by so many different activities, it is impossible to control with traditional regulatory policies. Many activities contribute to storm water pollution including: agriculture, forestry, animal grazing, recreational boating, urban runoff, and construction. Everyone can play a role in reducing pollution caused from storm water runoff making education and outreach vital components to any successful storm water pollution prevention program.

Frequently Asked Questions