ROADS-STORMWATER

Water Quality / NPDES

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required that Seminole County, as well as the 7 cities within the County, apply for and receive a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Stormwater Permit (NPDES) (Most other large counties and municipalities throughout the Country were required to obtain this permit, as well.). The overall goal of this permit, as part of the Federal Clean Water Act, is the to reduce the amount of pollutants in stormwater runoff that is discharged directly into natural waterbodies, streams and rivers systems. This goal is achieved through the previously mentioned tasks (monitoring, education, improvement projects, etc.).

This goal is also achieved through state regulations that were implemented in the 1980's, which require developments to construct stormwater systems that provide water quality treatment for stormwater runoff (such as retention ponds and other similarly functioning structures). The County is required by this NPDES permit to track many of these tasks throughout the year and to summarize them in an Annual Report, which is submitted to FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection).