Pollution Prevention

NPDES Background

As part of the Federal Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to reduce certain storm water discharges.
In 1990, Phase I of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was enacted. This Phase required cities over 100,000 people in population to monitor and reduce pollutants from industrial, wastewater, and municipal processes into creeks, streams, lakes and rivers.
In 1999, Phase II of the NPDES was enacted. This Phase required cities under 100,000 people in population to meet the same mandates.
Although the federal government requires cities to meet these requirements, there are no funding mechanisms in place to support these programs. Each community is required to fund its own efforts to meet these directives.
Communities are required to protect natural water bodies from pollution from construction sites, commercial and residential properties, agricultural land, and parks.
It is important to note that this legislation only addresses storm water quality. It does not address flooding issues or infrastructure maintenance.

There are six minimum controls that each community is required to address: