Stormwater / MS4

Stormwater is water from rain and snowmelt that flows across the land. In developed areas, stormwater typically flows across hard surfaces such as streets, parking lots, and roofs before draining into El Paso County’s municipal separate storm system (MS4). Our MS4 consists of a combination of inlets, ditches, and ponds that release water directly into our natural waterways. It is important to note that unlike sanitary sewer systems, our storm sewer system does not enter a wastewater treatment plant to be treated. As stormwater flows across these hard surfaces, pollutants such as trash, debris, sediment, and fertilizers are picked up and carried through our MS4, directly to our waterways. Polluted stormwater can harm our local water quality and aquatic life as well as downstream creeks, rivers, lakes and drinking water supplies.

The El Paso County Stormwater Team is under the Department of Public Works Engineering Division. The goal of the Stormwater Team is to create a cleaner, healthier county through the protection and improvement of our community’s stormwater infrastructure. The Stormwater Team accomplishes these objectives with a comprehensive approach to protecting water quality by providing regulatory oversight to ensure pollutants do not leave construction sites, implementing a program to detect and eliminate illicit discharges, and ensuring private and public permanent stormwater quality facilities are properly maintained. Additionally, our team aids in the management of El Paso County owned stormwater infrastructure.

The El Paso County Stormwater Team is also active in education and outreach programs to promote community stewardship of watersheds and the responsible use of water resources. From collaborative efforts with other regional municipalities to innovative engineering and management of water resources, El Paso County Stormwater Team strives to be on the forefront of the stormwater industry in Southern Colorado.

As part of the Federal Stormwater Phase II Rule, El Paso County was required to obtain a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit issue by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Under this MS4 Permit, El Paso County is required to implement an MS4 stormwater management program to control polluted stormwater runoff. A copy of the CDPHE MS4 General Permit (COR090000) is available here. El Paso County’s MS4 Program Description Document (PDD) is available to the public upon request. Requests can be made via email to Stormwater@elpasoco.com.