Storm Water Quality

When rain falls, it not only waters your yard and fills streams, but it also washes away pollutants such as oil and gasoline from impervious surfaces into the City's storm drains.  Storm drains carry the runoff into our streams and rivers.  This runoff is also called "non-point source" pollution - an unusual pollution which does not originate at one particular point, but comes from many different sources making it extremely difficult to control.

In response to the 1987 Amendments to the Clean Water Act (CWA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed Phase I of the NPDES Storm Water Program in 1990. It was mandated that cities nationwide develop programs addressing the issue of storm water pollution.  The Phase I program targeted sources of storm water runoff that had the greatest potential to negatively impact water quality. Under Phase I, EPA required permit coverage for storm water discharges from:

• “Medium" and "large" municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) located in incorporated places or counties with populations of 100,000 or more; and Eleven categories of industrial activity, including construction projects that disturbs five or more acres of land. A medium MS4 is a system that services a population between 100,000 - 249,999. A large MS4 is a system that services a population of 250,000 or more.
   

With a population of nearly one-half million, Oklahoma City was designated as a Phase I City and required to monitor and maintain water quality in our storm drains, rivers and creeks. The purpose of Storm Water Permit mandates is to reduce water pollution resulting from storm water runoff. The Storm Water Quality Management Division researches and initiates innovative measures to manage, monitor, investigate, control and remediate pollution of both surface and storm water.

  Construction Section
 The purpose of the Stormwater Construction program is to provide training, inspections and enforcement to developers, municipalities, contractors, and the public so they can be in compliance with their Oklahoma City Stormwater Construction Discharge permit and to prevent pollution of Oklahoma City community waterways.

  Industrial Section
The purpose of the Stormwater Industrial program is to provide training, inspections and enforcement to municipal and industrial facility owner/operators and the public so they can be in compliance with their Oklahoma City Stormwater Industrial Discharge permit and to prevent pollution of Oklahoma City community waterways.

  Environmental  Water Quality Section
 The purpose of the Stormwater Environmental Water Quality program is to provide environmental water quality health assessments and technical assistance operation services to citizens, businesses and government agencies so they can realize a reduction of pollution in Oklahoma City waterways and comply with the Clean Water Act.

  Household Hazardous Waste Facility
The purpose of the Stormwater Household Hazardous Waste Collection program is to provide awareness, reuse, recycling and disposal services to the residents of Oklahoma City and participating public agencies so they can reduce their household hazardous waste and dispose of it in an environmentally safe manner.

  Public Outreach
The purpose of the Stormwater Public Outreach program is to provide training and public awareness to public and private citizens and to prevent pollution of Oklahoma City community waterways.

  Hazmat Response
The purpose of the Stormwater Hazmat Response program is to provide technical assistance and public awareness to public and private citizens and to prevent pollution of Oklahoma City community waterways.

Stormwater Quality Management
Raymond Melton, Division Head
420 West Main, 3rd Floor
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Phone: 405-297-1774
Fax:   405-297-1770
E-mail: brenda.underwood@okc.gov

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