Stormwater Management - Ontario, Ohio

The City Engineer manages the City’s program to develop, implement and enforce a stormwater management program designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants to the maximum extent practicable to protect water quality. Stormwater runoff is generated when precipitation or snow melt flows over land or impervious surfaces and does not infiltrate into the ground. As the runoff flows over the land or impervious surfaces (paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks and building rooftops), it accumulates debris, chemicals, sediment, or other pollutants that could adversely affect water quality if the runoff is discharged untreated. The primary method to control stormwater discharges is the use of best management practices (BMPs). In addition, most stormwater discharges are considered point sources and require coverage under an NPDES/MS4 permit.

Water pollution degrades surface waters making them unsafe for drinking, fishing, swimming, and other activities. Authorized by the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program for MS4 controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States. Point sources are discrete conveyances such as pipes or man-made ditches. Individual homes that are connected to a municipal system, use a septic system, or do not have a surface discharge do not need an NPDES/MS4 permit; however, industrial, municipal, and other facilities must obtain permits if their discharges go directly to surface waters. Since its introduction in 1972, the NPDES permit program is responsible for significant improvements to our Nation’s water quality. Communities with 1000 people or more per square mile must follow the NPDES General Permit for Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4). The City of Ontario became a small MS4 in 2009 and is required to maintain a small MS4 permit through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. These regulations require designated communities to develop and implement a storm water management plan (SWMP).

This is accomplished by implementing six minimum control measures (click on each of the 6).

Public Education and Outreach —
BMPs for MS4s to inform individuals and households about ways to reduce stormwater pollution.
Public Involvement and Participation —
BMPs for MS4s to involve the public in the development, implementation, and review of an MS4’s stormwater management program.
Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination —
BMPs for identifying and eliminating illicit discharges and spills to storm drain systems.
Construction Runoff Control —
BMPs for MS4s and construction site operators to address stormwater runoff from active construction sites.
Post-construction Runoff Control —
BMPs for MS4s, developers, and property owners to address stormwater runoff after construction activities have completed.
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping —
BMPs for MS4s to address stormwater runoff from their own facilities and activities.

Stormwater Control Measures Inspection Forms

Public Education and Outreach

Stormwater Theme 2025:

“Keep dirt where it belongs – provides information on the consequences of erosion for water quality and on erosion prevention/reduction practices, with a particular focus on the expectations for sediment controls on construction sites for developers and contractors. This will result in enforcement of sediment control standards.”

When it rains, stormwater washes over the loose soil on a construction site, along with various materials and products stored outside. As stormwater flows over the site, it can pick up pollutants like sediment, debris, and chemicals from that loose soil and transport them into nearby storm sewer systems or directly into rivers and lakes.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) list sediment as the most common pollutant in rivers, streams, lakes and reservoirs.

Construction sites impact Ohio’s waters by:

· adding pollutants, especially sediment, into rainwater running off of construction sites during construction; and

· making long-term land use changes that alter the hydrology and pollutant loading of local streams.

To limit the negative impacts of construction projects on Ohio’s waters, Ohio EPA administers a permitting program designed to document construction activity in the state and require practices that keep pollutants out of the streams. The permitting program is mandated in the Clean Water Act and is part of the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) program.

Ohio EPA and the City of Ontario work with construction site operators to make sure they have the proper stormwater controls in place so that construction can proceed in a way that protects the community’s waterways and the surrounding environment.

The City of Ontario has developed standards for construction stormwater protection within Ontario Codified Ordinance Chapter 1353 Erosion and Sediment Control (see link at the bottom).

The OEPA NPDES permitting program and City of Ontario require the development and implementation of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for construction sites. A SWPPP outlines the control, practices and policies that will be implemented to prevent stormwater pollution from construction activities. A SWPPP also provides a place for construction personnel to document how construction activity is conducted to comply with the construction stormwater protection requirements. The Rainwater and Land Development Manual defines Ohio’s standards and specifications for stormwater management practices implemented during land development.

See the below resources for additional information on becoming part of construction site stormwater protection.

Stormwater Tip Sheet: Construction by EPA

Small Construction Projects Require Stormwater Permits Fact Sheet by OEPA

Public Involvement and Participation

Events page: https://ontarioohio.org/ontario-events/