News Flash!!!

What is the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Storm Water Program?

Polluted storm water runoff is a leading cause of impairment to the nearly 40 percent of surveyed U.S. water bodies which do not meet water quality standards. Over land or via storm sewer systems, polluted runoff is discharged, often untreated, directly into local water bodies. When left uncontrolled, this water pollution can result in the destruction of fish, wildlife, and aquatic life habitats; a loss in aesthetic value; and threats to public health due to contaminated food, drinking water supplies, and recreational waterways.

Mandated by Congress under the Clean Water Act, the NPDES Storm Water Program is a comprehensive two-phased national program for addressing the non-agricultural sources of storm water discharges which adversely affect the quality of our Nation's waters. The Program uses the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting mechanism to require the implementation of controls designed to prevent harmful pollutants from being washed by storm water runoff into local water bodies.

More information about the NPDES Storm Water Program is available on-line or through the contacts below.

¹National Water Quality Inventory (1996), available on-line at http://www.epa.gov/305b/

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What Information and resources are available to help Storm Water Program stakeholders?

EPA has provided the information necessary to assist operators of potential sources of storm water pollution in obtaining an NPDES permit and complying with the Storm Water Program. This information is organized into the three main components of the Program:

Storm Water Resources

In addition to the information provided through the links above, interested stakeholders are provided with a variety of storm water resources, including;

Training courses and materials related to storm water management.
Permits/Forms applicable to areas where EPA is the NPDES permitting authority.
Storm Water Best Management Practices (BMPs) for construction sites, industrial facilities, and MS4 programs.
Fact Sheets on the Phase II Rule.
The "Tool Box" for the Storm Water Phase II Program which comprises EPA efforts to aid program implementation.
NPDES Storm Water Library of EPA regulations, policy, guidance, and other related materials (available on line).
Storm Water Program Bibliography of documents and articles by EPA and non-EPA authors (reference list only).
Web Links to helpful web sites related to storm water management.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding Phase I and Phase II of the NPDES Storm Water Program are also available.

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Who should be contacted for more information?

EPA Headquarters:
Office of Wastewater Management
1200 Pennsylvania Ave NW (4203)
Washington, DC 20460
State and EPA Regional Permitting Authorities

EPA's Storm Water Phase II Final Rule Hotline: 202-260-5816 or mailto:sw2@epa.gov
EPA's Notice of Intent (NOI) Processing Center: 301-495-4145

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Disclaimer: The information contained on these pages is a general statement of policy. It does not establish or affect legal rights or obligations. It does not establish a binding norm and is not finally determinative of the issues addressed. Agency decisions in any particular case will be made by applying the law and regulations to the specific facts of the case. This applies to all pages in the NPDES Storm Water Program web hierarchy (http://www.epa.gov/owm/sw/...).