What the law says...

Clean Water Act (CWA)

Enacted by Congress in 1972 to ensure minimum water quality standards for waters of the United States.

The Clean Water Act has five main elements:

1. a system of minimum national effluent standards for each industry;
2. water quality standards;
3. a discharge permit program where these standards are translated into enforceable limitations;
4. provisions for special problems such as toxic chemicals and oil spills; and
5. a construction loan program for publicly-owned treatment works (POTWs).

The third element of the CWA addresses the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)

Under this act any person responsible for the discharge of a pollutant or pollutants into any waters of the United States from any point source discharged from an industrial area and municipalities above 100,000 must apply for and obtain a permit. In 1987, this act was expanded to include non-point sources with amendments .

As amended, the act now requires that five categories of municipal or industrial storm water discharges be regulated as NPDES discharges:

1. discharges which have NPDES permits issued as of February 1987.
2. discharges "associated with industrial activity."
3. discharges "from a municipal separate storm water sewer system (MS4) serving a population of 250,000 or more.
4. discharges "from a municipal separate storm water sewer system (MS4) serving a population of 100,000 or more but less than 250,000."
5. other discharges designated by the EPA administrator or the State if such discharge "contributes to a violation of a water quality standard or is a significant contributor of pollutants to waters of the United States."

City of Shreveport Storm Water Ordinance

Purpose

It is the purpose of this ordinance to promote the public health, safety and general welfare, and to minimize the degradation of the water quality in receiving waters of the City's storm drainage system caused by discharges of contaminants into this system by provisions designed to:

1. Control discharges associated with industrial activity and stormwater quality discharged from sites of industrial activity;
2. Control spills, dumping, or disposal of materials other than stormwater to the City's storm drainage system;
3. Prohibit illicit discharges to the City's storm drainage system;
4. Establish the authority for the City to carry out inspections, surveillance, and monitoring procedures necessary to determine compliance and noncompliance with EPA, state, and City regulations concerning stormwater quality and prohibition of pollution and illicit discharges to the City's storm drainage system;
5. Establish authority and penalties to insure compliance with conditions of this article;
6. Promote public awareness of the hazards involved in the improper disposal of petroleum products, household hazardous waste, industrial waste, sediment form construction sites, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and other contaminants into the City's storm drainage system;
7. Encourage recycling of used motor oil and safe disposal of hazardous consumer products;
8. Facilitate compliance with state and federal standards and permits by owners and operators of industrial and construction sites within the City;
9. Enable the City to comply with all federal and state laws and regulations applicable to stormwater discharges.

General Prohibitions

No person shall introduce or cause to be introduced into the City's storm drainage system any discharge that is not composed entirely of stormwater, except for discharges within any of the following classes:

1. Discharges that are authorized by an NPDES or State Department of Environmental (DEQ) permit other than the NPDES permit for discharges from the City's storm drainage system;
2. Discharges resulting from fire fighting;
3. Agricultural stormwater runoff; and
4. Discharges from flows from water line flushing, landscape irrigation, diverted stream flows, rising ground waters, uncontaminated pumped ground infiltration to the City's storm drainage system, uncontaminated pumped ground water, discharges from potable (drinkable) water sources, foundation drains, air conditioning condensation, irrigation water, springs, water from crawl space pumps, footing drains, lawn watering, individual residential car washing, flows from riparian habitats and wetlands, and street wash water unless any such discharge or flow is determined by the City to be a significant source of pollutants to the City's storm drainage or waters of the United States.

Specific Prohibitions

No person shall deposit or cause to be deposited by dumping, spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, discharging, leaching, disposing, or otherwise introducing any of the following substances into the City's storm drainage system:

1. Used motor oil or any other petroleum product or waste;
2. Any industrial waste;
3. Any domestic sewage from a septic tank or any other source;
4. Garbage;
5. Any untreated washwater from commercial carwash facilities or form any vehicle washing at new or used automobile or dealership truck dealerships or rental agencies; truck stops, fleet maintenance, or storage facilities;
6. Any external building washdown water containing soap or detergents;
7. Any pavement washwater containing soap or detergents or from washdown of any pavement where any spills or leaks of any petroleum, toxic, hazardous substances have occurred, unless all spilled materials have been removed prior to washdown.

For more information or for a copy of the storm water ordinance, see the City's ordinance page.

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