Storm Water Management
Storm Water Management is the idea of managing storm water and creating a level of awareness that promotes and enforces the overall protection of water resources as it relates to storm water bound pollutants. Storm Water Management is a policy of regulations enacted and enforced by RI Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM). The RI Pollution Discharge Elimination System (RIPDES) section is responsible for the overall enforcement of the Rules and Regulations pertinent to EPA Guidelines.
This section of the City’s website discusses and provides information on RIPDES regulations as they affect our community and discuss some programs and projects you can expect to see as a result of these regulations.
Basically RIPDES regulations state that all municipalities that own and operate a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4), which in simple terms is basically the many drainage conveyance systems throughout the City that convey storm water from the City-owned facilities to various water bodies. The Phase II Rule requires an operator of a regulated small MS4 to apply for a RIPDES permit. The RIPDES application or NOI must include a Storm Water Management Program Plan (SWMPP) that describes the Best Management Practices (BMPs) for each of the following six minimum measures: