In response to the 1987 Water Quality Amendments to the Clean Water Act, EPA published the rules for Phase I of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) storm water program in 1990.  The Phase I program requires municipalities with populations of 100,000 or greater to implement a stormwater management program as a means to control discharges from the “Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System” (MS4).  The NPDES stormwater program is a permit based program that established requirements that municipalities must meet to discharge storm water from MS4s to the nation's surface waters.  The City of Omaha is operating under a Phase I permit issued October 1, 2003.

In March 2003, EPA initiated the Phase II program, which required smaller MS4s located in urbanized areas to implement a storm water management program.  Douglas County, Sarpy County, Elkhorn, La Vista, Ralston, Bellevue, Papillion, Girls and Boys Town of Omaha are operating under a Phase II permit issued August 1, 2004.

Storm water management programs for both the Phase I and Phase II require that communities reduce the discharge of pollutants to the “maximum extent practicable”.  The regulations require that the management program address (at a minimum) six elements, that when implemented are expected to result in significant water quality benefits.  The six elements are listed below.  Click on the link below to find out more about each program element.

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