The Storm Water Quality Management Plan (SWQMP) is a program developed to reduce the quantity of pollutants in storm sewer systems.
Operators of MS4s are required to design their programs to:
- Reduce the discharge of pollutants to the "maximum extent practicable"
- Protect water quality
- Satisfy the appropriate water quality requirements of the Clean Water Act
The SWQMP must address six Minimum Control Measures (MCMs):
- Public Education and Outreach-Distributing educational materials and performing outreach to inform citizens about the impacts polluted storm water runoff discharges can have on water quality.
- Public Involvement and Participation-Providing opportunities for citizens to participate in program development and implementation, including effectively publicizing public hearings and/or encouraging citizen representatives on a storm water management panel.
- Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE)-Developing and implementing a plan to detect and eliminate illicit discharges to the storm sewer system.
- Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control-Developing, Implementing, and enforcing an erosion and sediment control program for construction activities.
- Post-Construction Storm Water Management-Developing, implementing, and enforcing a program to address discharges of post-construction storm water runoff from new development and redevelopment areas.
- Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping-Developing and implementing a program with the goal of preventing and reducing pollutant runoff from municipal operations.
