What is storm water?
Storm water is water from rain or melting snow that does not immediately soak into the ground.  Instead, storm water flows across surfaces such as lawns or pavements and picks up pollutants like fertilizers, grass clippings, motor oil, sediments, pet waste, litter, and other chemicals or debris.  Storm water that flows into storm drains carries these pollutants to rivers, lakes, and streams including the Chena, Chena Slough, and Noyes Slough.  Flows containing these pollutants can even affect our ground water. 

Storm Water and the Law
The Clean Water Act of 1972, as amended in 1987, requires that storm water discharges to surface waters comply with a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.  At the end of 2002, the U.S. Census Bureau designated the Fairbanks area as an Urban Area and on April 19, 2005, the City of Fairbanks, City of North Pole, University of Alaska Fairbanks, State of Alaska DOT&PF, and the Fairbanks North Star Borough were required to comply with newly issued Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits.  These permits outline how our community must work together to keep pollutants out of our storm water and our environment. 

Fairbanks's Storm Water Program

Currently the Fairbanks area has two NPDES permits.  The City of Fairbanks, City of North Pole, State of Alaska DOT&PF, and University of Alaska Fairbanks are partners on NPDES Permit Number AKS-053406.  While the Fairbanks North Star Borough has a separate permit, Permit Number AKS-053414.  The permits are very similar and the government organizations are working together to develop close to identical Storm Water Management Programs.  These programs contain six minimum control measures.  The six measures are Public Education and Outreach, Public Involvement/Participation, Illicit Discharge and Elimination, Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control, Post-Construction Storm Water Management in new development, and Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping.  The six measures are being phased into our community over the 5 year life of the permits.  To find out where we stand or how storm water requirements might affect you, please contact the appropriate storm water representative.