Background

The federal Clean Water Act was amended in 1987 to include municipal and other urban storm water discharges on the list of regulated sources of water pollution. In November 1999, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) storm water regulations, which requires approximately 125 Southeast Michigan municipalities, including Wayne County, to obtain storm water discharge permits.

Wayne County, through its Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project (Rouge Project) assisted the Michigan Department Environmental Quality (MDEQ) in the development and 1997 promulgation of a new watershed-based General Permit for municipal storm water discharges (General Permit). This permit, and its successor (MDEQ 2003 General Storm Water Permit), were approved by the EPA as an option available to local communities and other public agencies to comply with the requirements of the Phase II federal NDPES storm water regulations. In 2013, the MDEQ moved away from issuing General Permits for municipal storm water and is now issuing individual municipal separate sanitary storm sewer (MS4) permits.

MDEQ Storm Water Permit Program

Existing NPDES Municipal Separate Storm Water Permit

Wayne County was required to apply to the MDEQ for reissuance of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit by April 1, 2016 for a new five year permit term. After considerable negotiation between the County and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE - formerly MDEQ), the County made final modifications to the permit application in February 2020. The documents below comprise Wayne County's NPDES MS4 permit:

• NPDES Permit - Wayne County MS4
• Appendix A - Maps and Outfall Estimate
• Appendix B: Enforcement Response Procedure
• Appendix C: Public Participation / Involvement Program
• Appendix D: Public Education Program
• Appendix E: Illicit Discharge Elimination Program
• Appendix F: Procedure for Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control
• Appendix G: Procedure for Post-Construction Storm Water Runoff Control
• Appendix H: Pollution Prevention & Good Housekeeping Program
• Appendix I: Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Implementation Plan

Wayne County Annual NPDES MS4 Permit Compliance Reports

• 1999 Annual Report
• 2000 Annual Report
• 2001 Annual Report
• 2002 Annual Report
• 2003 Annual Report
• 2004 Annual Report
• 2005 Annual Report
• 2006 Annual Report
• 2007 Annual Report
• 2008 Annual Report
• 2009 Annual Report
• 2010 Annual Report
• 2011 Annual Report
• 2012 Annual Report
• 2013 Annual Report
• 2014 Annual Report
• 2015 Annual Report
• 2016 Annual Report
• 2017 Annual Report