Mandated by Congress under the Clean Water Act, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Storm Water Program is a comprehensive, two-phased national program for addressing the non-agricultural sources of stormwater discharges that adversely affect the quality of our nation's waters. The program uses the NPDES permitting mechanism to require the implementation of controls designed to prevent harmful pollutants from being washed by stormwater runoff into local water bodies.

Stormwater run-off is precipitation that falls to the ground and comes in contact with soils, greases, debris, and other contaminants from areas such as roadways, parking lots, and rooftops.

Stormwater run-off is one of the leading causes of water quality problems. Stormwater carries debris and pollutants directly into our water sources, which can  endanger the lives of humans, animals, and plant life. Managing stormwater run-off helps eliminate and/or reduce these negative impacts.

Learn more about stormwater

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    2023 Stormwater Annual Report

    The Annual Storm Water Report for Iowa State University (ISU) was prepared by Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) in accordance with Part III of the facility’s Municipal Separate Storm Water System (MS4) permit, No. 85-03-0-04. This report summarizes stormwater compliance activities within the boundaries of ISU, including Central Campus, North Campus, South Campus, Applied Science Center, Arboretum, the Southwest Athletics Complex, the Tower Residence Area, and the Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex.

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    National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) MS4 Permit

    Iowa State University holds the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to discharge stormwater from our facility. The permit is available to the public to read and learn about the details of our requirements.

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    Spill control and stormwater pollution prevention training

    For more information, log in to Workday Learning (employees and extended affiliates) or Canvas (students) and register for the Spill Control and Stormwater Pollution Prevention safety training. If you need assistance, please contact the EH&S Training team.

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    Stormwater pollution hotline: (515) 294-7229

    The stormwater pollution hotline provides the ISU community with a means of reporting stormwater issues and concerns. Callers may remain anonymous and are only required to provide a location and a brief description of the issue. All calls are investigated by EH&S personnel promptly.