Stormwater Management Program Plan

Best Management Practice (BMP): The most effective, practical methods for the prevention or reduction of pollution from non-point sources (e.g. urban pollutant runoff). Stormwater best management practices include a structural or non-structural methods designed to temporarily treat or store stormwater runoff to reduce pollution and mitigate flooding.

Home Sewage Treatment System (HSTS): As defined in the Ohio Administrative Code, Chapter 3701-29, a HSTS is any onsite sewage disposal or treatment system for a single-family, two-family, or three-family dwelling that serves as a collection point for sewage.

Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC): A two to twelve digit code in the hydrologic unit system that is used to identify all the drainage basins within the United States. The HUC is based on the four levels of classification in the hydrologic unit system: regions (largest), sub-regions, accounting units, and cataloging units (smallest).

Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE): One of the six minimum control measures that is required to be included in the stormwater management program of an operator of a Phase II regulated small municipal separate storm sewer system in order to obtain its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

Maximum Extent Practicable (MEP): Although not directly defined by US EPA, this term refers requiring compliance with regulation requirements to the maximum ability of the permittee.

Minimum Control Measure (MCM): One of six technical areas in a stormwater management program (SWMP) of the NPDES Phase II regulations. These six technical areas are: (1) Public Education and Outreach, (2) Public Participation/Involvement, (3) Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, (4) Construction Site Runoff Control, (5) Post-Construction Runoff Control and (6) Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping.

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4): A municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) is a publicly-owned conveyance or system of conveyances (i.e., ditches, curbs, catch basins, underground pipes, etc.) that is designed or used for collecting or conveying stormwater and that discharges to surface waters of the State.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES): Federally mandated permit system established by Section 402 of the Clean Water Act, used in the regulation of point sources (e.g. discharges from industrial and municipal facilities, stormwater discharges from discrete conveyances such as pipes or channels).

Ohio Revised Code (ORC): Legal document containing all of the acts that have been passed by the Ohio General Assembly and that have been signed by the Ohio governor.

Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI): Index designed by the Ohio EPA to establish a measurement of habitat quality that is generally interrelated to physical factors that affect fish communities and other aquatic life, such as macroinvertebrates.

Stormwater Management Program (SWMP): The SWMP is organized by MCMs and includes BMPs, measurable goals, rationale, decision process, responsible parties, time schedules and other appropriate information.

Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL): The Ohio EPA TMDL program, established under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1313), focuses on identifying and restoring polluted rivers, streams, lakes and other surface water bodies. A TMDL is a written, quantitative assessment of water quality problems in a water body and contributing sources of pollution. It specifies the amount a pollutant needs to be reduced to meet water quality standards (WQS), allocates pollutant load reductions, and provides the basis for taking actions needed to restore a water body.