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Bureau of Watershed Protection
Overview of Atlanta’s Stormwater Program

Regulatory Drivers:

1. Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (Metro-District); est. 2001 HB 130

o District-Wide Watershed Management Plan covers 16 counties and 113 jurisdictions
 

o EPD enforces Metro-District requirements through NPDES permits
 

· Stormwater Model Ordinances

    
   

· Water Quality Monitoring

    
   

· Education and Outreach

    
         

2. Georgia EPD Watershed Plans
 

o Watershed Monitoring Plan (submitted to EPD in late 2006), Watershed Assessment, Watershed Protection Plan
       

3. National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Permitting Program
 

Construction Activities (2003 General Permit)
   

· The NPDES Stormwater program requires operators of construction sites one acre or larger (including smaller sites that are part of a larger common plan of development) to obtain authorization to discharge stormwater under an NPDES construction stormwater permit.

    
   

· Operators must submit Notice of Intent (NOI), prepare a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SP3), and implement BMPs

    
 

o Industrial Activities (2006 Multi-sector General Permit)
   

· 11 categories of industrial activities
   

· NOI, SP3
       
 

o Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4)
   

· Phase I medium and large MS4s (1990)
   

  · Populations of 100,000 or more

 

 
   

  · Individual permit

 

 
   

· Phase II small MS4s (2003)

 

 
   

  · Serve “urbanized areas” as defined by Census Bureau

 

 
   

  · Covered under a general permit

 

 
         
         


City of Atlanta Stormwater Management Program (SWMP)
The City of Atlanta is a Phase I MS4. The City has an individual NPDES MS4 permit (GAS000100). The current permit was issued June 14, 2004 and will expire at midnight on June 13, 2009. As required by the permit, the City must implement and enforce a Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the MS4 to the maximum extent practicable. Additionally, the permit requires the City to file an annual report based on monitoring and reporting requirements set forth in the SWMP. The reporting period begins May 1 and ends April 30. The report is due to EPD on June 15th.

The SWMP is considered the most important component of a MS4 permit. The SWMP must include measures to:
· Identify major outfalls and pollutant loadings;
· Detect and eliminate non-stormwater discharges to the system;
· Reduce pollutants in runoff from industrial, commercial, and residential areas; and
· Control stormwater discharges from new development and redevelopment areas

References
EPA NPDES Stormwater Program
Georgia EPD Watershed Protection Branch
Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District

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Bureau Organization Chart



 


Sally Mills
Deputy Commissioner