About the Permit
UC Berkeley's storm water permit is a set of required actions under the Clean Water Act intended to improve the nation’s waterways by reducing the quantity of pollutants that storm water picks up and carries into storm sewer systems during storm events.
The permit has 6 major components:
Education and Outreach
- Increase public awareness on urban runoff pollution issues
- Educate the community about specific sources of pollutants and what people can do to reduce them
- Encourage watershed stewardship through hands-on volunteer activities
- Decrease the amount of illegal dumping and polluted urban runoff that is discharged into the storm drain system
Public Involvement and Participation
- Provide opportunities for community members to participate in the storm water management program
Spill Detection and Response
- Detect and eliminate illegal dumping into the storm drain system
Construction Site Runoff Control
- Protect UC Berkeley’s storm drain system and receiving waters from pollutants that may be a result of construction activities
Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping
- Prevent pollutants generated by UC Berkeley operations and activities from entering the storm drain system by implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs)
Post Construction Storm Water Management
- Ensure that new development and redevelopment are designed and constructed in a manner that minimizes the alteration of natural watercourses and drainage patterns, and alleviates the impacts of construction projects on the surrounding natural hydrology and ecology
Want to learn more?
In July 2013, the California State Water Resources Control Board issued UC Berkeley the storm water permit, otherwise known as the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. Click on the following links to learn more about the details of this permit