The city filed a storm water permit application with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in March of 2003. The permit is required under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program. Each section of the Stormwater Permit is highlighted below.

• NPDES Stormwater Permit
  
  
• Table of Contents
  
  
• Storm Water Management Program
  
  
• Public Education and Outreach
  
  
• Public Participation and Involvement
  
  
• Illicit Discharge Detention & Elimination
  
  
• Construction Site Runoff Control
  
  
• Post Construction Site Runoff Control
  
  
• Municipal Good Housekeeping and Pollution Prevention
  
  
• Recordkeeping & Reporting
  
  
• Schedule of Compliance
  
  
• Acronyms
  
  

There are several requirements associated with the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) Permit. These include:

1. Develop a storm water management program comprised of best management practices (BMPs) and measurable goals for each of the following six minimum control measures:
   
   
   • Public education and outreach on storm water impacts
     
   • Public involvement and participation
     
   • Illicit discharge detection and elimination
     
   • Construction site storm water runoff control
     
   • Post construction storm water management in new development and redevelopment
     
   • Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations
     
     
2. Submit a completed Notice of Intent. Operators can choose to share responsibilities for meeting the Phase II program requirements. Those entities choosing to do so may submit jointly with other municipalities or governmental entities.
   
   
3. Submit an annual report to IEPA in June of each year starting in 2004. The reports must include:
   
   
   • The status of compliance with the permit conditions, including an assessment of the BMPs and progress toward the measurable goals;
     
   • Results of any information collected and analyzed, including monitoring data;
     
   • A summary of the storm water activities planned for the next reporting cycle;
     
   • A change in any identified best management practices or measurable goals; and
     
   • If applicable, notice of relying on another governmental entity to satisfy some of the permit obligations.