The purpose of the City’s Stormwater Permit Program is to ensure compliance with state and federal regulatory requirements to prevent and control pollution from the city’s storm drain system into creeks, lakes and aquifers.
Stormwater Runoff
Stormwater runoff may contain pollutants such as sediments, nutrients, bacteria and petroleum products. The runoff generally enters our storm drain system through storm drain inlets and is released, untreated, into a nearby creek. Sometimes, the runoff may travel into a water quality pond, rain garden or other stormwater treatment facility before being released into a waterway.
The City is required to have a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit, granted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, under the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES). The MS4 Permit regulates discharges from Austin’s storm drain system. The City is required to comply with the conditions of our permit and report on the permit activities annually.
Storm Water Management Plan
The City developed a Storm Water Management Plan for compliance with the MS4 permit. The plan describes steps that the City takes to protect water quality and reduce pollutants to the “maximum extent practicable.” It satisfies the appropriate requirements of the Clean Water Act and meets state requirements to use all known, available and reasonable methods to prevent and control pollution to waters of the state.The plan contains eight mandated elements:
- MS4 Maintenance Activities
- Post-Construction Stormwater Control Measures
- Illicit Discharges Detection and Elimination
- Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations
- Industrial and High Risk Runoff
- Construction Site Stormwater Runoff
- Public Education and Involvement
- Monitoring Programs
Stormwater Permit Program staff work extensively with multiple City departments to ensure implementation and compliance with the plan. The plan is part of the 2017-2018 annual report.
Documents
- City of Austin MS4 Permit 2018-2023
- City of Austin TPDES Storm Water Annual Report FY 2019-2020
- City of Austin TPDES Storm Water Annual Report FY 2018-2019
- City of Austin TPDES Storm Water Annual Report FY 2017-2018
- City of Austin TPDES Storm Water Annual Report FY 2016-2017
- City of Austin TPDES Storm Water Annual Report FY 2015-2016
- City of Austin TPDES Storm Water Annual Report FY 2014-2015
Questions?
Please reach out to TPDES_Coordinator@austintexas.gov.