Weld County MS4
Weld County currently holds a federally-mandated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for all US Census- designated urbanized areas within unincorporated Weld County.
As required by the permit, an MS4 Stormwater Management Program was developed with a goal of reducing the amount stormwater pollution entering local creeks, streams and rivers from urbanized areas.
Parcels located within the MS4 area are subject to MS4 requirements as detailed in the County's MS4 Program. Find out if your property is in the MS4.
Weld County is tasked with implementing five Minimum Control Measures (MCMs), as described below.
Public Education and Outreach: Educate residents and members of the business community about the impacts of stormwater on water bodies and the steps the public can take to help reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff.
Illicit Detection and Elimination: Develop, implement and enforce a program to detect and eliminate spills, illegal dumping and other non-stormwater discharges into the County’s storm drainage system.
Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control: Develop, implement and enforce a program to reduce pollutants in any stormwater runoff from construction areas into the County’s storm drainage system.
Post-construction Site Stormwater Management: Ensure adequate long-term operation and maintenance of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) in order to prevent or minimize impacts to stormwater from new developments or redevelopments.
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations: Develop and implement an operation and maintenance program with the goal of preventing or reducing pollutant runoff from municipal operations.
Importance of Stormwater:
In Weld County, we recognize stormwater plays a key role in supporting our local economy, public health and quality of life. Stormwater is vital to our community because it replenishes the water supply that we depend on every day for basic needs such as drinking, washing, irrigating and animal watering. In Weld County specifically, a clean water supply is essential to maintain our place as leaders in the agricultural industry.
The County’s stormwater drainage system consists of a series of roadside ditches that drain stormwater runoff into local waterways in order to prevent street and property flooding. Stormwater pollution occurs when rain or melting snow flows over land or pavement and picks up nutrients, bacteria, sediment, chemicals, trash and other pollutants as it travels. These pollutants are then carried to the stormwater drainage system and eventually drain into nearby creeks, streams and rivers. Unlike the water we use in our households, stormwater flows directly into our waterways without being treated first.
For this reason, Weld County is diligently working to protect this valuable resource through the prevention of potential pollutants from entering local creeks, streams and rivers and so providing our residents and businesses with the cleanest water supply possible.
Partnerships:
Weld County is a proud member of the Colorado Stormwater Council (CSC), an organization comprised of 82 MS4 communities working together to protect and improve stormwater quality in Colorado. CSC combines resources to provide public education and outreach on stormwater pollution throughout the state and collaborates to develop program resources to efficiently and effectively comply with state and federal stormwater regulations.
Weld County is also active member of the Big Dry Creek Watershed Association (BDCWA), an organization currently comprised of MS4s and wastewater treatment facilities working together in an effort to protect and improve water quality in the Big Dry Creek watershed. BDCWA works hard to develop a sound scientific understanding of water quality, flow, aquatic life and habitat conditions in Big Dry Creek and uses that information to identify measures to improve stream conditions.
Volunteer:
Whether you're a resident, business or industry, you can get involved. Find a local volunteer organization that hosts cleanup events or sign up to adopt a street.
Weld County maintains a section of O Street, from 35th Avenue to 11th Avenue, through Greeley's Adopt-a-Street program. Each year, Weld County employees volunteer to pick up trash along the roadside. In 2018, on World Cleanup Day, volunteers picked up 35 bags of trash, filling an entire dumpster. That's 35 bags of trash that will not end up in the Poudre River, which is just 1000 feet south of O Street. Picking up trash not only prevents water pollution, but it also helps to keep our county beautiful.
MS4 in Weld County Code:
Weld County Public Works is continuously developing and implementing stormwater quality control programs in order to protect and preserve our local water resources. Local ordinances have been implemented to ensure compliance with Weld County’s federally mandated Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit issued under the Colorado Discharge Permit System (CDPS) of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). Please refer to the stormwater-related articles of the Weld County Code. Additionally, a Program Description Document was developed as a requirement of the MS4 permit and is publicly available for review and comment.
MS4 Municipalities Located in Weld County:
The Weld County MS4 Program manages only unincorporated, urban areas of the County. MS4 regulations do not apply to cities and towns in designated rural areas.
If you live within one of the following municipalities, make sure to check your local government’s website for a stormwater management program in your area.