Industrial Stormwater Permit
Below is a copy of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) Industrial Stormwater (ISW) permit and associated appendices. The NDEQ has established 30 Sectors, grouped by similar industrial activity. Industries with one or more Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes included on the Sector list are required to apply for coverage under the NDEQ ISW permit. The Sector list is included in Appendix D of the NDEQ ISW permit. The Permit Application and associated forms are included as attachments of the permit.
The terms of the NDEQ ISW permit include the requirement for the creation and implementation of a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). Facilities that have limited exposure of potential pollutants to stormwater can apply for exclusion from permitting under a No Exposure Certification (NEC) with the NDEQ. The NDEQ NEC Form is available here:
Contact the Stormwater Hotline at 402-444-3908 for more information.
The goal of this element is to reduce pollutants that can result from business or industrial activities. To do this, the City of Omaha is working with the NDEQ by implementing the NDEQ ISW permit program. City staff will provide assistance to commercial and industrial facilities to reduce inappropriate disposal of pollutants. The City is required by the NDEQ to inspect specific types of industrial and commercial facilities for proper stormwater pollution reduction activities.
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.