Applying for a Michigan General Storm Water Permit

MDEQ Permits for General Storm Drainage Systems in Phase I and Phase II Communities

In accordance with rules issued by USEPA, municipalities and other public bodies that operate a separate storm water drainage system within the U.S. Census defined urbanized area will be required to apply for a permit by March 10, 2003 to maintain authorization to discharge storm water. Municipalities in Michigan will have two permit options for permit coverage of separate storm water drainage systems. For additional details on these options, click here.

The two permit options MDEQ is offering for discharges from separate storm water system are summarized below.

• Jurisdictional storm water general permit (Permit No. MIS040000). (The reader should check the MDEQ web site for the latest information on the status of this permit). This traditional general permit contains prescriptive storm water control measures that will be required within the jurisdiction of the permittee. These include requirements for public education and public involvement, illicit discharge elimination, construction and post construction storm water controls, and good housekeeping and pollution prevention practices for municipal operations
  
  
• Watershed-based storm water general permit (Permit No. MIG610000). This is the watershed based General Storm Water Permit being implemented in the Rouge River Watershed. To view the application for this permit and the permit itself, click here. This permit is final and currently available across the State. Although the watershed based General Storm Water Permit addresses the same basic requirements as the traditional general permit described above, the watershed based permit provides much greater flexibility in how these basic requirements (public education and public involvement, illicit discharge elimination, construction and post construction storm water controls, and good housekeeping and pollution prevention practices for municipal operations) are selected and implemented. The watershed based General Storm Water Permit also requires cooperative interaction with other public bodies outside the permittees jurisdiction. This cooperative approach is designed to accomplish storm water quality improvements watershed-wide, and provides an added benefit of cost sharing for some storm water controls. Watershed-wide controls means that many public bodies that discharge storm water to the same river or lake develop controls together, and implement them as part of a coordinated strategy.

The Application for the General Storm Water Permit

Click here for the MDEQ application for the Watershed Based General Storm Water Permit (Permit No. MIG610000). This is the Permit option being implemented in the Rouge River Watershed. It is final and currently available across the State. Click on the following to view example applications for MDEQ Watershed Based General Storm Water Permits from Wayne County and Canton.

Assistance in Completing the Application for the watershed based General Storm Water Permit

The Rouge Project, working with MDEQ, the communities and agencies in the Rouge River Watershed have developed extensive guidance material for use in completing an application for the watershed based General Storm Water Permit. To view that information, see Michigan General Storm Water Permit.

At that location are the following:

• a full description of the permit,
• the information to be submitted with the Application,
• information to be submitted during the life of the permit,
• links to extensive guidance documents prepared by MDEQ and/or the Rouge Project
• example applications for the permit
• example submissions for the Illicit Discharge Elimination Program (IDEP)
• example submissions of the Public Education Program (PEP)
• example information on the Storm Water Pollution Prevention Initiative (SWPPI)
• MDEQ SWPPI Template and Checklist
• other related information.

Please address all comments and suggestions about the contents of this Web page to rougeweb@co.wayne.mi.us.

The Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project is funded, in part, by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Grants #XP995743-01, -02, -03, -04, -05, -06, -08 and C-264000-01.