People in Boulder County enjoy our streams for their beauty and recreation and rely on our streams for clean drinking water, growing healthy food, and economic vitality. These waterways are also home to diverse aquatic life that depend on clean water to live.
As water from rainfall or snowmelt flows over rooftops, roads, and yards, it picks up and carries pollutants such as fertilizers, soap, oil, dirt, metals, and solvents that then become stormwater pollution. This pollution is carried to the storm drainage system, which flows untreated into our local creeks and streams, harming water quality and aquatic life. Stormwater pollution is significant in Boulder County’s semi-arid climate, where water is scarce.
Learn more about common pollutants and steps to keep our water clean at Keep It Clean Partnership.org
Boulder County’s Role
Boulder County works with businesses, agencies, and individuals to foster shared responsibility for the health of our waterbodies.
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Permit (MS4)
Boulder County holds a Federal Clean Water Act and Colorado Water Quality Control Act permit (COR090000) that requires Boulder County to protect stormwater quality by:
- Establishing organizational control
- Roles and responsibilities for stormwater programs
- Encouraging public involvement and participation in stormwater quality activities
- Providing public education and outreach
- Detecting and eliminating illegal discharges of pollutants into storm drains
- Overseeing construction practices to ensure pollutants don’t enter storm drains
- Ensuring stormwater infiltrates into the soil or flows into a water quality treatment facility, as applicable
- Preventing stormwater pollution from county operations
Program Description Document
The MS4 Permit requires Boulder County to develop and follow Program Description Documents (PDDs) that describe how the County’s program works. These Program Descriptions are designed to consolidate recordkeeping and other requirements, and also serve as a set of useful procedures for County staff.
Contact the Stormwater Quality Coordinator to review the most up-to-date versions.
More information about each program is provided below.
