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1. What is Storm Water?

Storm Water is precipitation such as rain, sleet or melting snow. In a natural setting only a small percentage becomes surface runoff, but as development occurs the percentage increases. this runoff usually flows into the nearest stream, creak, river, lake or wetland.

2. Why is storm water important?

Storm Water Management prevents physical damage to people, aquatic life and communities by preventing polluted runoff from negative impacting waterways. The installation of impervious surfaces interrupts the natural horologic cycle, and causes less infiltration than was present before any development occurred. Therefore, the volume and rate of storm water runoff greatly increases, which as a result contributes to flooding, stream channel instability, sediment, herbicides, pesticides, oils and other pollutants getting into the storm sewer system.

3. What is an NPDES (National Pollutant discharge Elimination systems) permit?

The Clean Water Act prohibits anybody from discharging pollutants through a point source into a water of the United States unless they have a NPDES permit. The permit will contain limits on what you can discharge, monitoring and reporting requirements, and other provisions to ensure that the discharge does not hurt water quality or people's health.

4. What is a pollutant?

Any type of industrial, municipal and agricultural waste discharged into water. Some examples are dredged soil, solid waste, incinerator residue, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, chemical wastes biological materials, radioactive materials, rock and sand.

5. Do I need an NPDES permit?

It depends on where you discharge pollutants. If you discharge from a point source into waters of the United States, you need a NPDES permit. If you discharge pollutants into a municipal storm sewer system, you may need a permit depending on what you discharge. Please call the Public Works Department at (615) 384-2746 to determine if you need a permit.

6. Where do I apply for an NPDES permit?

NPDES permits can be obtain from the Public Works Department by calling (615)384-2746.

7. What is a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)?

The regulatory definition of an MS4 (40 CFR 122.26(b)(8)) is " a conveyance of system of conveyances (including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels or storm drains): (i) Owned or operated by a state, city, town, borough, county, parish, district, association, or other public body (created to or pursuant to sate law) including special districts under state law such as a sewer district, flood control district or drainage district, or similar entity, or an Indian tribe or an authorized Indian tribal organization, or a designated and approved management agency under section 208 of the Clean Water Act that discharges into waters of the United States. (ii) Designed or used for collecting or conveying storm water; (iii) Which is not a combined sewer; and (iv) Which is not part of a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) as defined at 40 CFR 122.22."