What Is Stormwater?
Stormwater originates from rainfall and other precipitation that runs off of surfaces all over the City – rooftops, streets, lawns, etc. Stormwater makes its way into natural water sources and takes everything from City surfaces with it to these areas.
Car Washing
When you wash your car on a compacted surface, the runoff containing soap, heavy metals, road grime, greases, and oils can enter the storm drains. Unlike sanitary drains, storm drains usually run directly into creeks, ponds, and lakes. Use a commercial car wash facility or find a grassy area at home to soak up the runoff. Protect our area’s natural water resources!
Current Stormwater Projects
We are continually trying to improve the stormwater infrastructure to better serve the citizens of our City. There may be a project going on in your neighborhood, so check here to see what we are doing.
What Can You Do?
Residential Soil Erosion Control: Keep Your Soil at Home
Prohibition of Illegal Discharges
No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the municipal storm drain system or watercourses any materials, including but not limited to pollutants or waters containing any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards, other than storm water.
Allowable Discharges
(a)The following discharges are exempt from discharge prohibitions: water line flushing or other potable water sources, landscape irrigation or lawn watering, diverted stream flows, rising ground water, ground water infiltration to storm drains, uncontaminated pumped ground water, foundation or footing drains (not including active groundwater dewatering systems), crawl space pumps, air conditioning condensation, springs, non-commercial washing of vehicles, natural riparian habitat or wet-land flows, swimming pools (if dechlorinated – typically less than one PPM chlorine), firefighting activities, and any other water source not containing Pollutants.
(b) Discharges specified in writing by the City of Alma as being necessary to protect public health and safety.
(c) Dye testing is an allowable discharge, but requires a verbal notification to the City of Alma prior to the time of the test.
(d) The prohibition shall not apply to any non-storm water discharge permitted under an NPDES permit, waiver, or waste discharge order issued to the discharger and administered under the authority of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, provided that the discharger is in full compliance with all requirements of the permit, waiver, or order and other applicable laws and regulations, and provided that written approval has been granted for any discharge to the storm drain system.
Storm Water Management Plan
The City of Alma developed the SWMP in accordance with the requirements of the NPDES General Permit ARR040000. The SWMP will facilitate the City’s efforts in reducing storm water pollutants from the City’s MS4, thereby protecting the City’s storm water quality to the maximum extent practicable (MEP). Included in the SWMP are specific best management practices (BMPs) that will be implemented to reduce pollutants, measurable goals for each BMP, and an implementation schedule developed for the one-year permit term. Various BMPs were developed for each of the six minimum control measures (MCMs) that are required by the Phase II Rule.
These six MCMs are:
- Public Education and Outreach on Storm Water Impacts;
- Public Participation and Involvement;
- Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination;
- Construction Site Runoff Control;
- Post-Construction Runoff Control; and
- Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping.