Stormwater Management
What is Storm Water?
Storm water is water from precipitation that flows across the ground and pavement when it rains or when snow and ice melt. The water seeps into the ground or drains into what we call storm sewers. These are the drains you see at street corners or at low points on the side of the streets. Collectively, the draining water is called storm water runoff.
Good Rain Gone Wrong
Storm water becomes a problem when it picks up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants as it flows or when it causes flooding and erosion of stream banks. Storm water travels through a system of pipes and roadside ditches that make up storm sewer systems. It eventually flows directly to a lake, river, stream, wetland, or coastal water. All of the pollutants in storm water along the way empty into our waters, too because storm water does not get treated!
- Pet waste left on the ground gets carried away by storm water, contributing to harmful bacteria, parasites, and viruses in our water.
- Vehicles drip fluids (oil, grease, gasoline, antifreeze, brake fluids, etc.) onto paved areas where storm water runoff carries them through our storm drains and into our water.
- Chemicals used to grow and maintain beautiful lawns and gardens, if not used properly, can run off into the storm drains when it rains or when we water our lawns and gardens.
- Waste from chemicals and materials used in construction can wash into the storm sewer system when it rains. Soil that erodes from construction sites causes environmental degradation, including harming fish and shellfish populations that are important for recreation and our economy.
Where to Go to Continue the Information Flow
Your community is preventing storm water pollution through a Storm Water Management Program (SWMP). This program addresses storm water pollution from construction, new development, illegal dumping to the storm sewer system, pollution prevention, and good housekeeping practices in municipal operations. It will also continue to educate the community and get everyone involved in making sure the only thing that storm water contributes to our water is…. water! Contact your community’s storm water management program coordinator or the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Protection (EPA) for more information about storm water management.
What Happens When It Rains?
- Flooding is caused by too much storm water flowing over hardened surfaces such as roads and parking lots, instead of soaking into the ground.
- Increases in spending on maintaining storm drains and the storm sewer system that becomes clogged with excessive amounts of dirt and debris.
- Decreases in sporish populations because storm water carries sediment and pollutants that degrade important fish habitats.
- More expensive treatment technologies to remove harmful pollutants carried by storm water into our drinking water supplies.
Importance of Stormwater Control
When it rains, stormwater runoff collects many types of hazardous materials that flow directly into area lakes and streams. Common pollutants include oil and grease from roadways, pesticides from lawns, sediment from construction sites, and carelessly discarded trash, such as cigarette butts, paper wrappers, and plastic bottles. When washed into nearby waterways through the MS4 drainage system, these pollutants can impair the waterways, limiting recreational use of the water resource, contaminating drinking water supplies, and interfering with the habitat for fish, other aquatic organisms, and wildlife. Stormwater is called non-point source pollution because it comes from all over the place.
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a program under the Clean Water Act called the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to regulate the pollutants in the storm water runoff from small cities with MS4s. This program was intended to improve the Nation's waterways by reducing the quantity of pollutants that storm water picks up and carries into storm sewer systems during rain events. The program operates on the assumption that the pollutant load will be less if minimum control measures are put in place.
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ)
The City of Spencer has a permit from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) to discharge its drainage into the North Canadian River watershed. The ODEQ oversees the NPDES for the State of Oklahoma by permitting and regulating cities within the State. The ODEQ also provides expertise and resources to assist cities with guidance and enforcement when necessary to gain permit compliance.
Stormwater Management Plan
The City of Spencer's Stormwater Program was put in place to assist with reducing pollution in the rainwater that leaves our City limits. We have established best management practices under each of the six minimum control measures listed:
- Public Education and Public Participation
- Industrial Runoff Controls
- Construction Site Management
- Post-Construction Site Management
- Illicit Discharge Elimination
- Municipal Good Housekeeping
A hard copy of the Stormwater Management Plan is kept at City Hall. Please contact the Stormwater Program Manager for more information.
Spencer's Stormwater Program participates in the Central Oklahoma Stormwater Alliance known as COSWA. Through COSWA, we partner with other cities to reach goals that are difficult to reach on our own. We also contract out some of our services such as the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center with partner cities since it is too expensive for one small city to run a Household Hazardous Waste facility on its own. Through COSWA, we are able to do things that reach a larger general audience like creating radio and newspaper ads, hosting training events, etc.
What Citizens Can Do for Clean Water
- Pick up pet waste
- Pick up trash in your neighborhood
- Keep streets and storm drains clean
- Compost, bag or mulch leaves and grass clippings
- Learn how to avoid problems with your sewage system
- Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers and do not apply them before a rain
- Reduce the use of non-biodegradable products like Styrofoam and plastics
- Volunteer for a clean-up event or curb marking activity
- Do not pour paint, oil, or any other liquids into a storm drain