The City of Kendallville is a designated MS4 Community. MS4 stands for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. The EPA has established an MS4 stormwater management program that is intended to improve the Nation's waterways by reducing the quantity of pollutants that stormwater picks up and carries into storm sewer systems.

The MS4 is a federally mandated program that requires municipalities to take measures to reduce pollutants in storm water runoff to improve water quality. The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) requires the City of Kendallville to comply with Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System General Permit.

The Problem

We all see the water flowing into our storm drains during a storm or snowmelt. What most residents don't realize, is that the water flowing into our Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4's) is arriving dirtier and in greater quantities than ever before.

The problem mostly occurs when precipitation lands on an impervious surface such as a paved street, rooftop, or driveway. Instead of the water slowly soaking into the soil and becoming purified, the water flows over these impervious surfaces and picks up pollutants. Oil and grease from roadways, pesticides from lawns as well as grass clippings and organic materials, sediment from construction sites and litter are all picked up by the water and conveyed directly to a storm drain which flow directly to our streams, rivers and lakes.

The Result

Increased volumes of polluted water reaching storm sewers impair our waterways. Pollutants contaminate drinking water supplies and interfere with the habitat for fish, aquatic organisms and wildlife. High volumes of water undercut streambeds and cause erosion, leading to the degradation of waterways.

The Solution

To meet the new requirements, each designated MS4 entity is required to submit a permit application to IDEM every five (5) years. The permit application requires development of a Storm Water Quality Management Plan (SWQMP) which is an action plan for the MS4 entity to institute six requirements called Minimum Control Measures (MCM).