Stormwater
Impacts to the Environment
The purpose of the storm drain system is to protect against flooding and water damage by quickly removing rainwater from our streets. The storm sewer system is completely separate from the sanitary sewer system, which is designed to capture and treat wastewater from sinks, toilets and other sources. Unlike the sanitary sewer system, discharges from the storm sewer system gets no treatment and may ultimately drain into washes, lakes, retention basins, community parks, and can even make its way into the Salt and Gila rivers.
Stormwater contamination occurs when chemicals, debris, and waste enter the storm sewer system. These materials can enter into the system through:
- the illegal dumping of products or waste into the storm sewer system and/or curb and gutter system
- the over application of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers
- leaking fluids from motor vehicles
Once these hazardous materials enter the storm sewer system they drain to our rivers where they can:
- harm fish and wildlife
- promote weed growth
- create stagnant pools that breed disease carrying pests
- inhibit the natural beauty and safety of our outdoor recreation areas
Programs and Requirements
Stormwater regulations apply to construction sites, industrial facilities and municipalities such as Mesa. We operate under a Municipal Stormwater Permit issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality effective July 1, 2021. This permit requires Mesa to develop a Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) identifying various best management practices (BMPs) to be implemented to reduce stormwater pollutants.
Examples of BMPs include our household hazardous material facility, inspecting storm drains and retention basins for pollutants, disseminating public education materials and screening stormwater discharge points for pollutants.
The Municipal Stormwater Permit also requires Mesa to develop and enforce an ordinance that prohibits the discharge of pollutants to our storm drain system and to post a copy of our SWMP and the most recent annual report on our website. These documents are listed below.
Additional Resources
How Can I Help?
You can help to protect the storm sewer system from pollutants by:
- Picking up any spills of automotive fluids, pesticides, fertilizers or other materials on your property immediately so they do not reach the curb and gutter
- Use only the amount of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that is necessary to do the job
- Dispose of empty containers of automotive fluids, pesticides, fertilizers or other materials properly by enclosing them in a plastic bag before putting them in the trash
- Bring household hazardous waste to the Household Hazardous Materials facility
Protect our stormwater with lessons learned in these fun new videos with Sparky, our eco-spokes dog!
Helpful documents to properly manage pollutant discharges from the following sources:
We are a proud member of STORM.
Visit the STormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities