Public Works - Storm Water Program

Overview
For compliance under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act and amendments (33 USC 1251 et. seq.) and the Ohio Water Pollution Control Act (ORC 6111), dischargers of storm water from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) are authorized by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) to discharge from the outfalls to the receiving surface waters of the state.  These are done through Notice of Intent (NOI) Applications with OEPA.

In order to be in compliance with these Federal and State laws, the City of Beavercreek has filed for and received authorization under the NPDES General Permit for Small MS4s, OHQ000002.  The permit contains stipulations and compliance measures that have been adopted by the City of Beavercreek in the Beavercreek Stormwater Management Ordinance.  These items are carried out by the City of Beavercreek with this ordinance and permit and with annual reporting on compliance to OEPA.

The program is carried out through the Public Works Division of the City of Beavercreek.  This is done in a collaborative effort within the Public Works division as well as other departments within the City and the general public within the City.

Storm Water and Storm Water Runoff, what is that?
Storm water is water generated from storm events such as rain or snow.  Storm water runoff is the water that is from these events that flows over streets, lawns, fields, and buildings.  This water travels to areas of lower elevation, such as lakes and streams.  This runoff can also collect pollutants (debris, oil, grease, pesticides, fertilizers, etc.) that will eventually be received by lakes and streams.  The storm water runoff from the City of Beavercreek eventually makes it to the Ohio River.  The pollutants in the runoff add to the pollutants for other sources, such as industrial sites, other urbanized areas, and agricultural areas.

How is the City of Beavercreek going to implement Pollution Reduction Strategies?
The City of Beavercreek developed the Beavercreek Stormwater Management Ordinance as part of compliance with the OEPA regulations.  The goal of this plan is to reduce pollutants in the City’s MS4, storm water runoff, and outfalls.

This ordinance, along with the plan specified within, address 6 minimum control measures:

How does the public participate in Beavercreek’s Storm Water Management plan?
There are a variety of ways that the public is involved with Beavercreek’s plan.  In fact, the public plays a vital role in helping the City of Beavercreek implement the plan.  This is done by helping the City manage the MS4, storm water runoff, and outfall by reporting issues observed with the current storm sewers, such as debris buildup, clogged outlets from detention areas, etc.  By helping to reduce litter at homes, businesses, and public areas, the public helps the appearance of the city.  As a secondary improvement from these activities, water quality is also improved by reducing debris and other pollutants that can be included in runoff that makes its way to the MS4 and eventually water bodies throughout the city.

A role that the public plays with the management program that is essential to the success of Beavercreek’s Stormwater Management Program is the identifying and reporting of illicit discharges into the system.  The public can report an illicit discharge a variety of ways: calling the Engineering Division at (937) 427-5513, filling out the below reporting tool, or sending an email to publicworks@ci.beavercreek.oh.us.

What is an Illicit Discharge?
An illicit discharge is an illegal discharge, connection, or tie-in to a storm sewer.  The types of illicit discharges vary widely with some examples listed below.  Storm sewer systems are designed to convey storm water runoff to nearby lakes and streams.  These systems generally do not treat runoff before it empties into a receiving water body.  By dumping anything other than storm water into a storm drain, an illicit discharge takes place and is illegal.

Examples of illicit discharges are:

Why is an illicit discharge a problem?
An illicit discharge carries pollutants into the storm water systems and to streams and lakes from these systems without proper treatment.  The pollutants in these discharges can cause odors, public health concerns, and harm aquatic life.

Illicit Discharge Reporting
Illicit discharges can be reported three ways to the City of Beavercreek.  The first is to call the Public Works Engineering Division at (937) 427-5513; the second is to send an email to publicworks@ci.beavercreek.oh.us; the third is to use the reporting tool which will automatically send a report to the Engineering Division for investigation and response.

What can I do to help reduce polluted storm water runoff?

Links
The following links can be used to access more information on storm water programs and other related topics: