Stormwater Runoff
BMPs – “Best Management Practices” include operating procedures and products to control site runoff, spills, leaks and drainage from raw material storage. The objective of BMPs is to prevent contaminants from entering stormwater before it runs off of the site and into state waters.
General Permit – Under the Clean Water Act, a general permit can be used to regulate a category of similar discharges. General permits are the primary means to regulate stormwater from construction sites, industrial facilities, and municipal infrastructure. To be covered by a general permit, a developer, industry or local government must submit a notice of intent (NOI) to EPD.
NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) – This is the technical name for EPA’s permitting system under the Clean Water Act. Authority over the NPDES program is often delegated to states, as is the case with Georgia.
Point Source Pollution – This is water pollution from a discrete conveyance, such as a pipe. Point sources of pollution are also regulated under the NPDES program, but they must have an individual, rather than a general permit, settling the specific limits in the discharge.
Non-Point Source Pollution – This term is synonymous with runoff. Non-point sources include agriculture, construction activities, municipal runoff, and other sources. While stormwater is by definition, a non-point source of water pollution, when it is channeled by means of a discrete conveyance, it becomes a point source.
SWPPP – A “Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan” is a technical, engineering plan to control runoff on a particular site. All facilities regulated under a stormwater general permit, must prepare and update a SWPPP.
