Stormwater Program for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4)

Warning: This page is an edit and testing page use by the wiki authors. It is not a content page for the Manual. Information on this page may not be accurate and should not be used as guidance in managing stormwater.

Information: We recently updated this page and will continue to work on information about MS4 stormwater management. If you have suggestions, we welcome comments using the comment box at the bottom of most pages in the manual.

Information: NOTE: Minnesota uses the term Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) for MS4 stormwater, while several states and EPA may use the term Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP). These terms refer to the same thing.

MPCA MS4 staff contact information can be found at this link

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Background Information 2020 MS4 General Permit MS4 Stormwater Permits (Individual) Previous Permits Minimum Control Measures Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) Tools and Resources MS4 Audit Guidance MPCA MS4 Technical Assistance Other Resources and Documents

The municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) stormwater program is designed to reduce the amount of sediment and pollution that enters surface and ground water from storm sewer systems. Public entities that own or operate an MS4 play a key role in preventing or reducing the negative impacts stormwater runoff has on our valuable water resources.

Proper stormwater runoff management in urbanized areas is especially important for restoring and protecting surface waters. Urbanized areas are more likely to have activities that contribute pollutants to stormwater runoff, like applying anti/deicing mixtures to roads; fueling vehicles; grease, oil, and other spills; landscaping; and using pesticides and fertilizers. Urbanized areas have a large amount of impervious surfaces, or surfaces that rain and snowmelt cannot pass through, such as streets, driveways, rooftops, parking lots and sidewalks. Stormwater runoff from these surfaces travels faster and in higher amounts, damaging rivers, streams, and wetlands; destroying aquatic habitats; increasing the amount of pollutants that enter surface waters; and limiting groundwater recharge and the MS4 program is to help mitigate the impact.

Background Information

Regulated MS4 permittees are required to develop a stormwater pollution prevention program (SWPPP) to reduce the pollutants entering the municipality's storm sewer system. When applying for the MS4 permit, permittees identified measurable goals they intended their SWPPP to reach. Based on these goals, permittees should evaluate the effectiveness of their program and make any necessary changes.

• What is a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4)?
• Why is a municipality regulated under the MS4 permit?

2020 MS4 General Permit

• 2020 MS4 General Permit PDF Version
• 2020 MS4 General Permit Reissuance Page
• 2020 MS4 General Permit Wiki Version
• MS4 Annual Report

MS4 Stormwater Permits (Individual)

• 2018 Minneapolis Phase I Permit
• 2018 St. Paul Phase 1 permit

Previous Permits

• 2013 MS4 General Permit
• 2011 Minneapolis Phase I Permit
• 2011 St. Paul Phase I Permit

Minimum Control Measures

When seeking to manage a Municipal Storm Sewer System (MS4), an effective Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) has six different components known as Minimum Control Measures (MCMs).

• MS4 documentation required - What should I document under the MS4 Permit?
• Minimum Control Measures 1 - Public Education and Outreach
• Minimum Control Measures 2 - Public Participation/Involvement
• Minimum Control Measures 3 - Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
• Minimum Control Measures 4 - Construction Site Stormwater Control
• Minimum Control Measures 5 - Post-Construction Stormwater Management
• Minimum Control Measures 6 - Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) are EPA approved amounts of pollutant loading that can occur and have a water body meet water quality standards. Follow this link to learn more about them along with guidance and resources.

Tools and Resources

• Assessing Total Suspended Sediment and Total Phosphorus Removal Efficiency of Permittee Owned/Operated Constructed Stormwater Ponds - guidance related to assessing the total suspended sediment (TSS) and total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiency of MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) permittee owned/operated ponds constructed and used for the collection and treatment of stormwater.
• Checklist and Maintenance Documents and Examples of Procedures for MS4 BMP Methods
• MS4 Mapping Tool - An interactive online map tool to view and explore Minnesota MS4 boundaries, defined urbanized areas, impaired waters, outstanding resource value waters, trout waters and approved TMDL study areas.
  
• Pollution Prevention Guidance Fact Sheets - A Collection of Minnesota Stormwater Manual Fact Sheets on MS4 Stormwater Pollution Prevention Methods.
• MS4 Staff Site Plan Review Guidance

MS4 Audit Guidance

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to evaluate MS4 permittees for compliance with the MS4 General Permit. The MPCA does this through compliance audits. To find out more information about the audit process see the pages below:

• EPA's measureable goal guidance for developing and evaluating a stormwater progarm's goal
• Phase II MS4 Audit Process
• Self-Audit Guidance for Phase II MS4s

MPCA MS4 Technical Assistance

• 2017 MS4 Technical Assistance and Outreach Needs Survey Results
• Green Communities A guidebook for developing clean water projects with Homeowners’ Associations - Washington Conservation District
• MS4 Case Studies
• MS4 Webinars and Videos
• MPCA MS4 Staff Contact Information
• MS4 Staff Site Plan Review Guidance
• MPCA MS4 Website

Other Resources and Documents

• Acknowledgements to Contributors
• MS4 Outreach Photo Library
• MS4 Program Overview and Minimum Control Measures (MCM) Descriptions - YouTube Video
• Pond, Lake, and Wetland Inventory
• Stormwater and Wetlands - Planning and Evaluation Guidelines
• Untreated Stormwater Runoff to Lakes, Streams, and Wetlands