MS4 Program

What is an MS4?

MS4 stands for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System. An MS4 entity owns or operates a system for collecting and conveying stormwater. The purpose of the MS4 program is to maintain and benefit water quality in creeks, streams and waterways by reducing pollutants in stormwater runoff.

MS4 program is an unfunded federal mandate. It is the result of the 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act (CWA), commonly referred to as the Water Quality Act of 1987. In these amendments, Congress mandated that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) address non-point source pollution associated with stormwater runoff. 

In response to the Congressional action, EPA developed the MS4 program to permit the discharge of the stormwater from the MS4s. In essence, EPA defined urban stormwater (previously considered a non-point source) as a point source with numerous physical locations (or points) of discharge.

The MS4s are permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program through either the U.S. EPA or the states; in Indiana, through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). MS4 permits are granted in five-year cycles at the end of which the permit must be renewed. The City of Valparaiso’s NPDES permit was granted in 2003, and was renewed in 2008, 2013,  2018, and 2022.

News

National Stormwater Day

November 16 is the National Stormwater Day!  Check here to learn about the history, and what you can do to help manage stormwater runoff and protect our water resources. 

2023 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Schedule

Household Hazardous Waste or “HHW” are unwanted products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable or reactive ingredients that require special care upon disposal. It’s estimated that the average household disposes one pound of hazardous waste each year. Rather than letting them be released into our environment, the Porter County Recycling and Waste Reduction District hosts household hazardous waste collection events at locations throughout Porter County during the Spring, Summer and early Fall seasons for proper disposal of these harmful products. Please check the Recycling and Waste Reduction District's website to see the event calendar, and what are accepted at the events. 

2023 Rain Barrel Program

We have launched this year's rain barrel program. Please click this link for the details of the program, and this link to place an order. 

Stormwater Quality Management Plan

The MS4 entities are required to develop a Stormwater Quality Management Plan (SWQMP), and to implement the following six Minimum Control Measures (MCMs) to reduce polluted stormwater runoff. Click on the links to learn about these components and what we are doing.    

Recognition

The City of Valparaiso's MS4 program was recognized by Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) at the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2018 MS4 Annual Meetings for multiple categories including illicit discharge detection and elimination, post-construction stormwater runoff control, public education/participation through rain barrel decorating competition, stormwater management utilizing trees, and programs and projects that are beyond the MS4 Stormwater Quality Management Plan.

The City's MS4 Program was also recognized by the National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Awards Program for Innovation (Silver Level) and Program Management (Gold Level) in 2015. 

Click here to see Certificate of Recognition.

Useful Documents

For more information about the program, please contact Mingyan Zhou, the City of Valparaiso's MS4 Coordinator.