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Water Quality Control Division - Stormwater Program www.cdphe .state.co.us/wq /permitsunit
<br />On November 16, 1990, EPA issued a final regulation on the control of stormwater from municipal and industrial
<br />stormwater discharges. The stormwater program is under the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
<br />System) part of the Clean Water Act. The regulation is meant to reduce the amount of pollutants entering streams,
<br />lakes and rivers as a result of runoff from residential, commercial and industrial areas. The regulation (40 CFR
<br />122.26) covers specific types of industries, and storm sewer systems for municipalities with more than 100,000
<br />population.
<br />In Colorado, the program is under the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Water Quality
<br />Control Division. (The Colorado program is referred to as the Colorado Discharge Permit System, or CDPS,
<br />instead of NPDES.)
<br />THE STORMWATER PROGRAM - PHASE I
<br />The program began operating under Phase I of the regulations. Colorado's regulation for Phase II was finalized in
<br />March 2001. A summary of the Phase II regulation begins on page 3.
<br />1. MUNICIPALITIES - PHASE I
<br />2. INDUSTRIES - PHASE I
<br />A. Definition of Terms
<br />COLORADO'S STORMWATER PROGRAM 2/08
<br />Under Colorado's program, Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Colorado Springs, and CDOT are covered by Phase I of
<br />the municipal permitting process. (Municipalities less than 100,000 population and meeting certain other criteria
<br />have been brought in under Phase II of the program.)
<br />Municipalities in Phase I had a two -step application, process. Part I required an inventory of all their outfalls. It
<br />also included a substantial amount of monitoring, and gathering information about existing programs that control
<br />stormwater quality.
<br />In Part II of the municipal application, the cities developed a Stormwater Management Program. In general, this
<br />included controls on cross - connections and illicit discharges to the storm sewer system, developing policy on such
<br />things as street sweeping, roadway deicing, erosion control during construction, etc., and establishing a long -term
<br />monitoring program. It also involved developing educational programs, such as one to raise the awareness level of
<br />residents about where their used oil or antifreeze goes if they dump it in the storm drain.
<br />Industrial facilities which discharge industrial stormwater either directly to surface waters or indirectly, through
<br />municipal separate storm sewers, must be covered by a permit. The industries covered by the program include
<br />most manufacturers, mining, transportation facilities, power plants, landfills, auto recyclers, and construction
<br />projects that disturb five or more acres of land. (See Appendix A for a complete list of covered industries.)
<br />- Municipal separate storm sewer system, or MS4, means a conveyance or system of conveyances
<br />(including roads with drainage system, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man -made
<br />channels, or storm drains):
<br />1) owned or operated by a State, city, town, county, district, association, or other public body
<br />(created by or pursuant to State law) having jurisdiction over disposal of sewage, industrial wastes,
<br />Stormwater, or other wastes, including special districts under State law such as a sewer district,
<br />flood control district or drainage district, or similar entity, or a designated and approved
<br />management agency under section 208 of the Clean Water Act that discharges to state waters;
<br />2) designed or used for collecting or conveying stormwater;
<br />3) which is not a combined sewer; and
<br />4) which is not part of a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) as defined at 40 CFR 122.2 and
<br />5 CCR 1002 -20, Sec. 4.3.7.X(3 -91).
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