Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Information Print

GENERAL STORM WATER PERMIT FOR SMALL MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEMS (MS4)

General Information:

The Clean Water Act Amendments of 1987 established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Storm Water Discharge Program, which regulates pollutants entering the Nation’s waterways. Polluted storm water runoff is often transported through municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4’s) and ultimately discharged into local rivers, streams and waterways without being treated. The EPA’s Stormwater Phase II Rule establishes an MS4 storm water management program that is intended to improve the Nation’s waterways by reducing the quantity of pollutants that are transported into storm sewer systems during storm events. Common pollutants include grease and oil from roadway pavements, pesticides from lawns, sediment from construction sites, and carelessly discarded trash, such as cigarette butts, plastic bottles and paper wrappers. When deposited into nearby waterways through MS4 discharges, these pollutants can impair the waterways, thereby reducing recreational use of the resource, contaminating drinking water supplies, and interfering with the habitat for fish, other aquatic organisms, and wildlife.

Phase I of the NPDES Storm Water program began in 1990, and required medium and large municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4’s) to obtain NPDES coverage. The expanded Phase II program began in March 2003, and required small MS4’s in urbanized areas such as Countryside to obtain NPDES permits and implement six (6) minimum control measures, as follows:

  • PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ON STORM WATER IMPACTS
  • PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION
  • ILLICIT DISCHARGE DETECTION AND ELIMINATION
  • CONSTRUCTION SITE STORM WATER RUNOFF CONTROL
  • POST-CONSTRUCTION STORM WATER MANAGEMENT IN NEW DEVELOPMENT AND REDEVELOPMENT
  • POLLUTION PREVENTION/GOOD HOUSEKEEPING FOR MUNICIPAL OPERATIONS

This web page includes links to the documents that are part of the City of Countryside’s efforts to minimize pollution from storm water runoff, as part of its Federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Phase II permit.

Additional Information:

A full explanation of the NPDES MS4 program can be found at the USEPA’s website and at the IEPA’s website.

Annual Reports, Permit and Notices of Intent:

Please call 708.354.7270 to report any storm water discharge violations.