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Stormwater Management

When it rains or snows, runoff picks up and carries a wide variety of pollutants into our storm water system. These pollutants then flow into our local waterways and into the Chesapeake Bay. With proper stormwater management we can minimize the adverse effects of this water pollution.

Stormwater runoff comes from many sources. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that at least 50 percent of our nation’s water pollution is caused by stormwater runoff.

Common stormwater runoff pollutants

  • Debris like plastic bags, bottles and cigarette butts can choke, suffocate or disable aquatic life.
  • Bacteria/pathogens which are a health risk when washed into swimming areas. Sources include sewage and animal waste.
  • Toxic chemicals like insecticides, pesticides, motor oil and anti-freeze are poisonous. When fish or shellfish ingest them, the chemicals can pass into the food chain.
  • Impermeable surfaces like roads, parking lots and sidewalks resist rainwater causing debris and pollutants to run off and enter our storm sewers, streams and bodies of water.
  • Sediment from construction sites is harmful to aquatic plants and animals. Sediment can also transport other pollution to our water bodies.
  • Excess nutrients cause algae blooms, which deplete oxygen in the water. Sources include fertilizer and animal waste.

Report campus illegal dumping

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mandated that certain municipalities and agencies create a Stormwater Management Plan under the Phase II National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. The program is intended to improve water quality by reducing the discharge of pollutants from storm water runoff into local storm drains, rivers, ponds, streams, and other receiving waterbodies.

Tidewater Community College is a Virginia state agency affected by this Phase II rule. A Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Plan has been developed to comply with the Permit Program. It is comprised of the following elements:

TCC faculty, staff, and students must be good stewards of our campuses’ natural resources. Being aware of potential pollutants, and knowing how to properly handle and store them, can help prevent stormwater pollution and improve water quality in our streams, lakes and rivers.

Please watch the following video, then click the quiz link below.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Please share your suggestions to us keep our waterways clean!

TAKE OUR STORMWATER OUTREACH AND EDUCATION SURVEY 
COMMENT ON TCC’S STORMWATER PROGRAM PLAN