Industrial Stormwater
Activities that take place at industrial facilities, such as material handling and storage, are often exposed to the weather. When runoff from rain comes into contact with one of these activities in a shipping area, material storage area, or any area in a facility that is subject to contamination with raw materials, it can pick up pollutants and transport them to a nearby storm sewer system or directly into a stream, lake or river.
Stormwater pollution, unlike some pollution problems, cannot be covered by one set of rules that applies to all industrial facilities. In many industrial facilities, stormwater pollution can be prevented with common-sense precautions and modest changes in routine operations or maintenance practices.
Operators of industrial facilities should implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) on an ongoing basis wherever they would be effective at preventing pollutants from flowing with stormwater from their facility. Every facility should be evaluated to decide what works best, because stormwater pollution control practices take a number of forms, and may include a wide range of solutions. The bottom line is that it’s best to manage stormwater before it is discharged to a storm drain.
In 2009, the City of Omaha implemented their Industrial Stormwater (ISW) Permitting Program, as part of their overall Industrial Program Element. In 2017, after coordinating with the Nebraska Department of Environmental & Energy (NDEE), the City of Omaha will no longer be implementing their ISW Permitting Program and has updated their Industrial Program Element to focus on Omaha industries’ compliance with the NDEE’s ISW Permit, simplifying the permitting process.
NDEE ISW Permit Information
The current NDEE – NPDES Industrial Stormwater General Permit (ISW-GP) became effective April 1, 2023 and expires March 21, 2027.
Associated forms and guidance documents are available on the NDEE website, click the button below to go there. The permit and forms are included below as well.
NDEE ISW Permit & related forms
Frequently Asked Questions
The nature of activities on industrial and commercial facilities often involves bulk storage of chemicals, fuels, large volume equipment storage, and regular loading and unloading of materials. Due to these activities, there is an increased potential for stormwater to be exposed to pollutants. In addition, industrial and commercial facilities often have a high percentage of impervious surfaces at their site which leads to increased runoff that has a greater chance of picking up pollutants.
Federal regulations require stormwater discharges associated with specific sectors of industrial activity to be covered under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits (unless otherwise excluded).
The permitting program is intended to identify and eliminate outdoor, exposed pollutants generated by businesses that are affecting, or could affect, the municipal separate storm sewer system and local waters.
Keeping pollutants out of the storm drainage system is important because pollutants, generated by businesses or other sources, are washed away to the nearby water bodies without receiving treatment to remove pollutants, so it will ultimately compromise the quality of our waters.
Industries subject to the stormwater regulations are identified by their Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. An industry is required to comply with the requirements of the stormwater regulations if at least one of its applicable SIC codes fall under one of the designated 30 sectors.
These 30 sectors are listed in Appendix D of Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) Industrial Stormwater (ISW) Permit.
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