Who do I call if I see a stormwater problem or someone dumping a pollutant into a stormdrain?
Storm water discharges are generated by precipitation and runoff from land, pavement, building rooftops and other surfaces. Storm water runoff accumulates pollutants such as oil and grease, chemicals, nutrients, metals, and bacteria as it travels across land. Heavy precipitation or snowmelt can also cause sewer overflows which, in turn, may lead to contamination of water sources with untreated human and industrial waste, toxic materials, and other debris. EPA controls storm water and sewer overflow discharges through its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. NPDES provides guidance to municipalities and state and federal permitting authorities on how to meet stormwater pollution control goals as flexibly and cost-effectively as possible. In California, the NPDES permit program, including stormwater permitting has been delegated to the state. EPA Southwest Region is the permitting authority for Indian lands in California. NPDES General Permits have been issued by EPA for the
