Engineering Department - Environmental Engineering

National Pollution Discharge Elimination System

Reporting Illicit or Illegal Discharges

In order to comply with the requirements of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit, Clearwater must establish regulations that will prohibit illicit discharges into the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) and provide sufficient means to monitor and enforce local discharge regulations. With this purpose, Ordinance 32.394 was adopted providing legal authority to prohibit any illicit, inappropriate or harmful discharges into the MS4 or waters of Pinellas County that could cause environmental problems that cost the public and private sectors in terms of lost resources and expensive environmental restoration activities.

Illicit discharge or illicit stormwater discharge means any discharge into the Stormwater Sewer System and/or Waters of the United States that is not composed entirely of stormwater (RAIN), except discharges made in accordance with all Federal, State, and Local regulations. Authorized exceptions, flows from fire fighting, water line flushing and other contributions from potable water sources, landscape irrigation and lawn watering, irrigation water, diverted stream flows, rising groundwater, uncontaminated pumped groundwater, air conditioning condensation, springs, individual residential car washings, and flows from riparian habitats and any wetlands.

Many seemly harmless household activities, such as dumping yard waste or draining swimming pools and household waste water from washing machines, dishwashers or water softening devices into ditches, storm drains and canals are also classified as illicit discharges. These activities still can cause severe problems to our waterways. Ditches and storm drains are not connected to the sewer system. They flow directly into streams, rivers, estuaries, bays and eventually the Gulf of Mexico.

If you see any polluting activities taking place, please report them to the corresponding agency in your area. (numbers below)

This in not just a Local problem
BUT a
NATIONAL PROBLEM

City of Clearwater

Public Services Division: (727) 562-4950
Engineering Department: (727) 562-4747

Pinellas County

Environmental Management: (727) 464-4425
Stormwater Watch Line: (727) 464-5060

If you believe that what is being discharged is dangerous or may be harmful call 911