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- Stormwater Information
Stormwater Information
What is stormwater?
Stormwater is created by weather events such as rain, snow, or snowmelt. When stormwater flows overland, it becomes runoff and this runoff eventually reaches body waters like lakes, rivers and streams that many s us use for drinking and recreational purposes. However, the runoff can also pick up sediments and pollutants from the surfaces it flows across, and these negatively impact the surface body water's use by people while also harming the environment and aquatic life in the affected location.
What is the difference between stormwater and sanitary sewage?
Sanitary sewage is wastewater from everyday use i.e., bathroom, sink wash water etc. When this sewage leaves our homes, it travels to the sewage treatment plant where is treated before being released into the Midland Draw or sold for use in the mining industry.
Unlike sanitary sewer water, stormwater is not treated as it travels through a storm sewer system before it enters a body of water. The City of Midland’s storm sewer system consists of streets, curb and gutter, channels and draws as well as inlets and culverts and pumps that convey stormwater runoff through the city.
What is a Stormwater Administrator?
The Stormwater Administrator is tasked with protecting the quality of stormwater that is conveyed throughout the City’s storm sewer system and where it eventually leaves our system on the southeast side of the City via the Midland Draw.
The Stormwater Administrator ensures that construction activities have measures in place to minimize pollutants that can enter the storm sewer system and eventually end up at our lakes, streams, and rivers. The Stormwater Administrator also assists other departments with illicit discharges and illicit connections to the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) from all industrial, commercial and residential properties within the City limits.
Did you know?
It is illegal to drain stormwater and sanitary sewage into the same pipe system. It is illegal to blow, sweep or dump any material into the streets, curbs and gutters inlets, channels, ditches and draws that make up the City’s drainage system.
What are Illicit Discharge or Illicit Connections?
An illicit discharge is any discharge not entirely composed of stormwater; except discharges pursuant to TPDES (Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) stormwater general permit or a specific authorization resulting from emergency firefighting activities.
Some examples of an illicit discharge include:
- Draining a hyper chlorinated source (swimming pool, fountain water) into the street or storm drain unless the source has been dechlorinated prior to the discharge by the homeowner.
- Sweeping, blowing or dumping yard waste, i.e., leaves, grass clipping in the street or storm drain.
- Placing furniture, tree branches or any other material that is not stormwater entirely.
An illicit connection is defined as any man-made conveyance connecting an illicit discharge directly to a MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System). Illicit connection can lead to illicit discharges. Some examples of an illicit connection include:
- Using a pipe or any kind of hose connection to drain sewer water to a storm drain, street or storm sewer system.
- Building an underground connection to drain directly to the storm sewer system i.e. hyper chlorinated sources (swimming pool or fountain), sanitary sewage, chemicals/ industrial chemicals etc.
How do I report a stormwater concern? It's easy just visit our Citizen Request Tracker to submit your concern RequestTracker • Midland, TX • CivicEngage (midlandtexas.gov)