Storm Water Department

Storm WaterWhat is Storm Water?


Storm water is water from rain, snow, sleet or hail that flows across the ground and pavement or when snow and ice melt.  The water seeps into the ground or drains into what we call the storm drain system.  These are the drains you see at street corners, catch basins, detention/retention basins, irrigations canals and the Jordan River.  Collectively, the draining water is called storm water runoff and is a concern in all areas of North Salt Lake.
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    Jason Boulton

    Storm Enforcement

The City of North Salt Lake Storm Water Management PlanBioretention rain garden located on the north side of NSL City Hall

Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) for the City of North Salt Lake was developed to meet requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II stormwater regulations. In 1987, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended the Clean Water Act to require a two-phased national program to address water pollution from stormwater. Phase I, promulgated in 1990, addressed stormwater discharges in approximately 900 of the nation’s largest cities.

Background Phase II of the stormwater program was published in the Federal Register on December 8, 1999. The Phase II regulations require operators of municipal storm sewer systems (MS4s) located in urbanized areas with populations of fewer than 100,000 people to obtain a NPDES permit for their stormwater discharges.

Each permittee designs its own SWMP with the goals of reducing the discharge of pollutants from the stormwater system to the maximum extent practicable and protecting water quality. To meet the “maximum extent practicable” standard, the City must develop and implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) for the following six minimum control measures:

  • Public Education and OutreachStorm Drain Collage website
  • Public Participation/Involvement
  • Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
  • Construction Site Runoff Control
  • Post-construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment
  • Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations

    This stormwater web site offers the reader useful links to other web sites; North Salt Lake's current SWMP plans and updates to these plans; and will be use as a BMP for Public Education and Outreach. For more information or reporting of illicit discharges to the stormwater system, please call Jason Boulton at (801) 335-8682 or email jasonb@nslcity.org.