Storm Water Management

Defining Stormwater & Its Management

The collection of stormwater is an important responsibility of the City of Portage. The City of Portage maintains approximately 142 miles of storm sewer infrastructure ranging from local street drainage to 66-inch-diameter collection pipes. In Portage, most stormwater is collected in catch basins and infiltrated back into the ground. The city also maintains approximately 100 stormwater outfalls to Portage Creek, Austin Lake, West Lake, and Gourdneck Lake. These surface water discharges are permitted by the State of Michigan under a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Storm Water permit.

Helpful Programs & Recommendations

The city undertakes programs annually to address localized flooding issues along the street and the public right-of-way. Stormwater runoff occurs when precipitation from rain or snowmelt flows over the ground. Impervious surfaces like driveways, sidewalks, and streets prevent stormwater from naturally soaking into the ground. Stormwater can pick up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants and flow into a storm sewer system or directly to a lake, stream, river, or wetland. In Portage, most stormwater flows into retention basins and infiltrates into the ground. Any stormwater that is discharged untreated can have many adverse effects on plants, fish, animals, and people.

Illicit Discharge

An illicit discharge is the result of an illegal and/or improper waste discharge into storm drainage systems and receiving waters. Illicit discharges may result from the connections of non-stormwater sources (such as sanitary sewers) to the stormwater system or may result from a waste discharge spill flowing overland and into a storm sewer. An example of an illicit connection is the connection of a restaurant or automotive repair garage floor drain into a storm sewer. This connection results in non-stormwater wastes being flushed into the storm sewer system anytime the floors are washed, and water flows into the drain. An example of an illicit discharge without an illicit connection is the flushing of used motor oil down a storm sewer catch basin rather than properly recycling the waste oil.

Illicit discharges should be reported immediately to the City of Portage Department of Transportation and Utilities at (269) 329-4422.

  1. Prevention
  2. Common Sources
  3. How To Help

How Does the City Prevent Illicit Discharges?

The City of Portage Code of Ordinances Chapter 64-Storm Water, Illicit Discharges and Connections establishes measures for controlling illicit discharges and connections:

  1. Prohibition of illicit discharges: No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the municipal storm drain system or watercourses any materials, including, but not limited to, pollutants or waters containing any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards, other than stormwater. The commencement, conduct, or continuance of any illegal discharge to the storm drain system is prohibited, except for discharges specified in writing by the city as being necessary to protect public health, safety, and welfare.
  2. Prohibition of illicit connections:
    • The construction, use, maintenance, or continued existence of illicit connections to the storm drain system is prohibited.
    • This prohibition expressly includes, without limitation, illicit connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of the connection.
    • A person is considered to be in violation of this chapter if the person connects a conduit conveying wastewater to the MS4, or allows such a connection to continue.