Stormwater Management Plan Update

The City of Columbia Stormwater Utility appreciates our residents for their comments on a draft of the updated City of Columbia/Boone County/University of Missouri joint Stormwater Management Plan.

The plan describes the programs, practices and goals for addressing the water-quality impacts of stormwater runoff over the next five years to comply with its Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, which is delegated authority by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Residents can view the plan at ehs.missouri.edu/env/swmp or in the Documents section on the right side of this page.

Under the federal Clean Water Act, MS4 permits are issued to cities, counties and other public entities across the nation that operate a stormwater drainage system that collects and manages stormwater runoff and discharges it to streams, lakes and other water bodies. The joint MS4 permit was first issued in 2003 and has implemented a variety of programs and initiatives to address stormwater quality since that time.

This Stormwater Management Plan update satisfies a primary requirement of the MS4 permit. The plan describes the approach for reducing pollutants in stormwater runoff through the following measures:

● Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts

● Public involvement and participation

● Illicit discharge detection and elimination

● Construction site stormwater runoff controls

● Post-construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment

● Pollution prevention and good housekeeping for municipal operations

Many of the programs included are well-established and do not represent major changes from the previous five years. In some program areas, new goals have been included based on identified needs and priorities.

For more information on the City of Columbia's programs, visit CoMo.gov/utilities/columbias-stormwater-utility.