Illicit Discharge & Pollution Control

Understanding Natural vs. Problematic Foam in Streams, Channels, and Lakes If you spend enough time around streams, roadside ditches, or lakes, you will eventually notice patches of foam collecting along the edges or drifting in slow-moving water. For many people, the immediate assumption is that th…

Municipal governments are often viewed as stewards of water quality, yet many of their routine, necessary operations can unintentionally contribute pollutants to the stormwater system. Unlike wastewater, which is treated before discharge, stormwater typically flows untreated into nearby streams, riv…

Dry weather outfall screening is one of the most effective and defensible tools available to municipal stormwater programs for identifying illicit discharges. Under MS4 permit requirements associated with the Clean Water Act and the NPDES stormwater program, municipalities are required to implement …

Lake George in upstate New York is often called the “Queen of American Lakes” because of its exceptional clarity and scenic setting in the Adirondack Mountains. For generations, residents and visitors have prized its transparent waters, vibrant fisheries, and tourism economy. Yet in rece…

When crews encounter contaminated sediments during routine work, or when a concerned homeowner reports a suspicious odor or unusual discharge, the situation calls for immediate but steady action. Stormwater systems often collect materials from a wide range of sources, and although many sediments are…

The Salton Sea is one of California’s most unusual and tragic landscapes, a place shaped by accident, transformed by ambition, and ultimately pushed toward collapse by the very forces that sustained it for decades. Its story is a long arc of creation, prosperity, decline, and ongoing struggle,…

A brownfield is real property whose reuse or redevelopment is complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Congress added this definition to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), recognizing that l…

Stormwater runoff is one of the leading causes of water pollution in the United States. As rainfall or snowmelt flows over impervious surfaces such as roads, parking lots, and rooftops, it collects a wide array of pollutants that are carried into local waterways through storm drain systems. Understa…

Protecting your community’s waterways starts with knowing what doesn’t belong. Illicit discharges are one of the most persistent threats to stormwater systems and local water quality. These unauthorized flows, often containing pollutants like oils, detergents, sewage, or industrial waste…