MS4 Program & Illicit Discharge Reporting

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Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4): Keeping pollution out of the storm sewer system.

What is an Illicit Discharge?

An “illicit discharge” is the direct OR indirect release of non-stormwater substances into the storm sewer system or conveyance system. Stormwater is not treated prior to entering our local waterways.

Substances such as paints, automotive fluids, herbicides, pesticides, and cooking oil do not belong in our stormwater system. When disposing of these items refer to Trash & Recycling.

If you observe or suspect any pollutants that may threaten our waterways, please call or submit an "Illicit Discharge Report".

Possible Signs of Illicit Discharge

Strong Odor
Unusual color or cloudy water
A film, foam, or sheen on the water surface
Excess Algae
Dead vegetation and or animals

Pet Waste

Please pick up after your pets and dispose of properly. Do not throw pet waste into the storm drains!

Pet waste contains excess nutrients and a harmful bacterial load that are not safe for our local waterways.

The introduction of bacteria and other pathogens into a waterway can be harmful for humans by ingestion or through skin contact. A single gram of dog feces can contain as much as 23,000,000 fecal coliform bacteria. This is twice as much as human waste!

If you are walking your dog in your subdivision, community, or down your local street, kindly toss the bagged-waste into the trash bin.

If you are visiting one of the following parks in Augusta County, please use the waste bins as part of our County’s Pet Waste Disposal Program:

Augusta Springs
Crimora
Mill Place
Natural Chimneys
Stuarts Draft

Thank you for keeping our Communities & Augusta County’s parks beautiful!

De-Icing Salts

Sidewalk/Road Salts raise the salinity of our local freshwater streams and can infiltrate groundwater. Chloride in high amounts can affect the dissolved oxygen levels in our local waterways which can affect fish, aquatic insects, and amphibians. Salt can also cause damage to plants resulting in dried leaves, loss off foliage, stunted growth, and or premature death.

Please consider a "Less is More" approach when applying sidewalk salt.

It only takes 1 teaspoon of salt to pollute 5 gallons of water
Only 12 ounces of sidewalk-salt can effectively treat a 20 foot driveway or 10 sidewalk squares
Sweep up any used visible excess salt when snow and ice melts, as that salt can be swept downstream

MS4 Overview

Augusta County is required to have a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit for urbanized areas to prevent the discharge of pollutants such as pet waste, trash, engine oil and fertilizers into waterways.

Augusta County MS4 Urbanized Area Map (link)

The MS4 program must be designed and implemented to control the discharge of pollutants from their storm sewer system to the maximum extent practicable in a manner that protects the water quality in nearby streams, rivers, wetlands and bays.

The County's MS4 Program Plan is a living document and will be updated and changed to better meet the Department of Environmental Quality and our communities' needs. With this in mind, please feel free to leave comments about the Program Plan or suggestions for the MS4 program with the Environmental Compliance Manager (contact information above).

DEQ Regulation

The following MS4 Program Plan is a management tool for the County to comply with the MS4 Permit. The MS4 Permit gives the County authorization to discharge under the Virginia Stormwater Management Program regulations, Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Regulations, and the Virginia State Water Control Law. The following is an excerpt from the General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems.

The permittee shall develop, implement, and enforce a MS4 program designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the small MS4 to the maximum extent practicable (MEP) in accordance with this permit, to protect water quality, and to satisfy the appropriate water quality requirements of the State Water Control Law and its attendant regulations. The permittee shall utilize the legal authority provided by the laws and regulations of the Commonwealth of Virginia to control discharges to and from the MS4. This legal authority may be a combination of statute, ordinance, permit, policy, specific contract language, order, or interjurisdictional agreements. The MS4 program shall include the minimum control measures (MCM) described in Part I E. For the purposes of this permit term, implementation of MCMs in Part I E and the Chesapeake Bay and local TMDL requirements in Part II (as applicable) consistent with the provisions of an iterative MS4 program required pursuant to this general permit constitutes compliance with the standard of reducing pollutants to the "maximum extent practicable," provides adequate progress in meeting water quality standards, and satisfies the appropriate water quality requirements of the State Water Control Law and its attendant regulations.

Program Description

Stormwater runoff plays a critical role in the quality of water resources within the Commonwealth and regulatory language requires that Phase II municipalities develop a plan with the purpose of describing best management practices to be implemented in order to ensure their impact on the environment is minimal.

Augusta County has been authorized to discharge stormwater from its municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) by having coverage under the Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) General Permit for Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. From the regulatory language, the permittee shall develop, implement, and enforce a MS4 program designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the small MS4 to the maximum extent practicable (MEP), to protect water quality, to ensure compliance by the permittee with water quality standards, and to satisfy the appropriate water quality requirements of the State Water Control Law and its attendant regulations.

Part I Discharge Authorization and Special Conditions E. Minimum Control Measures 1 through 6 describe the requirements for the County’s proposed plan to comply with the corresponding minimum control measures (MCM) and the Special Conditions. The six (6) MCM and Special Conditions are:

1. Public Education and Outreach

2. Public Involvement/Participation

3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination

4. Construction Site Runoff

5. Post-Construction Stormwater Management

6. Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations

Special Conditions: Action Plans for Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL) requirements for the Chesapeake Bay and other TMDL watersheds if applicable.

Program Plan

Annual Reports

Helpful Websites

Augusta County, VA

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MS4 Program & Illicit Discharge Reporting

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4): Keeping pollution out of the storm sewer system.

What is an Illicit Discharge?

Possible Signs of Illicit Discharge

Please pick up after your pets and dispose of properly. Do not throw pet waste into the storm drains!