NPDES Storm Water Permit Program
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.
|
||
The Clean Water Act authorizes EPA and states, which are delegated the authority by EPA, to regulate point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. So-called "point sources" are generated from a variety of municipal and industrial operations, including treated wastewater, process water, cooling water, and stormwater runoff from drainage systems. The NPDES Storm Water Program, in place since 1990, regulates discharges from municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), construction activities, and industrial activities.
- Administration
- Large & Medium Small MS4 Permits
- Small MS4 Program
- Construction Activities
- Industrial Activities
- Residual Designations
- Stormwater, LID and TMDL fact sheets available!
Large & Medium Small MS4 Permits
- City of Worcester
- Boston Water & Sewer Commission (BWSC) (PDF) (2 pp., 129KB)
2003 Permit
- 2003 General Permit for Storm Water Discharges from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) (PDF) (56 pp., 265 KB)
- 2003 Permit Archives – NOIs, Maps, Public Notice, and Annual Reports for regulated MS4s in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
- MA SWMP Summaries & Select Metrics Permit Year 5 (2007-2008) (PDF) (23 pp., 179 KB)
- NH SWMP Summaries & Select Metrics Permit Year 5 (2007-2008) (PDF) (23 pp., 175 KB)
2009 Permit Reissuance
- Updated Information for Reissuance of the Small MS4 General Permit (5/7/09) (PDF) (2 pp., 188 KB)
- Which New England communities are regulated?
- 2009 General Permit for
Storm Water Discharges from Small Municipal Separate Storm
Sewer Systems (MS4s)
- State of New Hampshire (New Hampshire Small MS4 Home page) (Draft (PDF) (43 pp., 486 KB)) (Fact Sheet (PDF) (65 pp., 423 KB)) (Response to Comments) (Final) (Available 2009)
- State of Massachusetts Small MS4 Permit Home Pages
- Merrimack Watershed (Map (PDF) (1 p., 1.02 MB)) (Draft) (Fact Sheet) (Response to Comments) (Final) (Available 2009)
- North Coastal Watershed (Map (PDF) (1 p., 1.02 MB)) (Draft) (Fact Sheet) (Response to Comments)(Final)(Available 2009)
- South Coastal Watershed (Map (PDF) (1 p., 1.02 MB)) (Draft) (Fact Sheet) (Response to Comments) (Final) (Available 2009)
- Inter-State Watershed (Map (PDF) (1 p., 1.02 MB)) (Draft) (Fact Sheet) (Response to Comments) (Final) (Available 2009)
- 2008 Permit Notices of Intent (NOIs)
(Available 2009)
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Public Notice Status and Processing of 2008 Permit NOIs (Available 2009)
- 2009 Permit Annual Reporting Requirements (Available 2009)
- 2009 Permit Annual Reports
(Available 2010)
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Do I need NPDES Permit Coverage for Discharges Related to my Construction Activity and Which General Permits are Available (Flow Chart)? (PDF) (2 pp., 52 KB)
- Obtaining
permit coverage for your construction activity
This site provides links to the 2003 Construction General Permit (CGP) (including related Fact Sheets, Federal Register Notices, and the administrative record), Notice of Intent (NOI) and Notice of Termination (NOT) Forms, the online filing system (eNOI), and the online searchable NOI database. - NPDES General Permit for
Dewatering Activities in MA and NH.
This site provides links to the Federal Register Notice, the General Permit, and EPA contact information. Subject to limitations and eligibility requirements, this permit authorizes pumped or drained discharges of groundwater or stormwater from excavations or other points of accumulation associated with a construction activity. Depending on the nature of the dewatering activities at a given site, one or more general permits may be applicable: the Construction Dewatering General Permit, the Construction General Permit, or the Remediation General Permit. - EPA New England Fact Sheet: Storm
Water Permit Basics: The Federal (EPA) Storm Water Permit
for Large & Small Construction Projects (11/3/03) (PDF)
(1 p., 53 KB).
A quick read to determine whether you need a permit and how to get it. - EPA New England Guidance (two-sided, trifold): Storm
Water at Construction Sites - A Guide to the Federal Requirements
(11/3/03) (PDF) (2 pp., 210 KB).
More detailed than the fact sheet above, this brochure describes the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), site inspections, and other requirements. - EPA New England Fact Sheet: Storm
Water Permit Basics: New Hampshire Digging Needs a Federal
Permit (10/29/03) (PDF) (4 pp., 210
KB).
This document describes how to prepare a single Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to comply with the independent requirements of the Federal Construction General Permit and the New Hampshire Alteration of Terrain (Site-Specific) Permit
- 2008 Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP)
-
2008 MSGP Monitoring Guidance for Discharges into Impaired Waters (Part 6.2.4) - Parameters and Methods (PDF) (1 p., 72 KB)
- Massachusetts (PDF) (1 p., 143 KB)
- New Hampshire (PDF) (2 pp., 108 KB)
- Note for Operators in the Marine Industry Discharging Stormwater into Massachusetts Waters (4/1/09) (PDF) (1 p., 54 KB)
- EPA New England Guidance: Permitting Requirements for Municipally-Owned or Operated Industrial Activities
- How can I avoid the need for a Storm Water Permit for my industrial activity (i.e., a No Exposure Exclusion)?
- Which parameters do I need to monitor for if my stormwater facility discharges to an impaired water? (Available Soon)
Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) Performance Analysis, December 2008 (PDF) (193 pp., 2.08 MB)
This analysis provides long-term cumulative performance estimates of eight stormwater BMP types based on BMP capacity and various loading rates for total phosphorus, solids, and zinc.
The Clean Water Act (CWA) and related regulations define the specific industrial and municipal stormwater sources that must be authorized by an NPDES permit. The CWA recognizes that other sources, such as commercial properties, may need to be regulated on a case-by-case or category-by-category basis based on additional information or localized conditions. The authority to regulate other sources based on the localized adverse impact of stormwater on water quality through NPDES permits is commonly referred to as the "Residual Designation" authority. In 2008, EPA issued records of decision requiring additional NPDES stormwater permits in specific areas within the Charles River watershed in Massachusetts and the Long Creek watershed in Maine. Additional information is provided via the links below.
- Charles River
- Residual Designation for Charles River (PDF) (28 pp., 272 KB)
- Executive Summary (PDF) (4 pp., 22 KB)
- Lower Charles River Basin Nutrient (Phosphorus) TMDL October 2007 (PDF) (29 pp., 142 KB)
- Stormwater Pollution Tackled to Improve Water Quality in Charles River (Press Release)
- Federal Register Notice and Public Comment Opportunity: The public may comment during the eventual permit review process.
- Long Creek
- Residual Designation for Long Creek (PDF) (39 pp., 613 KB)
- Executive Summary (PDF) (4 pp., 27 KB)
- EPA and Maine Take Action to Reduce Stormwater Pollution in South Portland Ecosystem (Press Release)
- Federal Register Notice (PDF) (2 pp., 52 KB)
This notice provides details on how to obtain the Preliminary Residual Designation document itself and other related materials. The public may comment during the eventual permit review process.
Stormwater, LID and TMDL fact sheets available!
Four fact sheets containing hyperlinks to related websites and resource documents in addition to New England case studies are now available
- Incorporating LID into Municipal Stormwater Programs (PDF) (11 pp., 317 KB)
- Managing Stormwater with LID Practices: Addressing Barriers to LID (PDF) (7 pp., 439 KB)
- Funding Stormwater Programs (PDF) (6 pp., 309 KB)
- Restoring Impaired Waters: TMDLs and Municipal Stormwater Programs (PDF) (5 pp., 288 KB)