Goal
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) goal is to preserve, protect, and improve water quality resources by reducing pollutants in stormwater runoff. Water pollution degrades surface waters, making them unsafe for drinking, fishing, swimming, and other activities.
As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the NPDES permit program controls water pollution by regulating sources that discharge pollutants into streams, rivers, and lakes. The NPDES permit program is administered by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Measurable, annual objectives addressing six minimum control standards are required.
Advantages
One advantage communities in Lake County have is that through the countywide activities of the Stormwater Management Commission (SMC), including the Watershed Development Ordinance, four of the six NPDES program components are already in place.
Each year, the City of Highland Park must submit an annual report to the IEPA. This annual report includes:
- The status of compliance with the permit conditions, including an assessment of the best management practices (BMP) and progress toward the measurable goals
- Results of any information collected and analyzed, including monitoring data
- A summary of the stormwater activities planned for the next reporting cycle
- A change in any identified BMPs or measurable goals
- If applicable, a notice of relying on another governmental entity to satisfy some of the permit obligations.