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Stormwater runoff can have a significant impact on waterways and the surrounding environment. As stormwater flows across the landscape, it can pick up pollutants like sediment, debris, and chemicals and transport these to a nearby storm sewer system or directly to a river, lake, or coastal waterways. Polluted stormwater runoff can harm or kill fish and other wildlife.  

SCDES oversees stormwater permitting in South Carolina.  Certain activities and sources of stormwater pollution are regulated under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).   NPDES is a regulatory program created under the Clean Water Act, and it is one of the main driving forces behind many state and federal regulations related to stormwater.  

Under the NPDES Permit Program, certain sources of stormwater discharges are regulated, and operators of these sources are required to receive an NPDES permit before they can discharge stormwater runoff. 

Stormwater runoff is regulated if it falls into one of these three categories:

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Construction Activities
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Industrial Activities
runoff

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems

Who needs a stormwater permit? 

 

Construction Activities 

Stormwater discharges from construction activities including clearing, grading, filling, demolition that results in soil exposure, excavating and other land disturbing activities of one acre or more, or any site of disturbance within ½ mile of a coastal receiving water.    

 

Industrial Activities 

The discharge from any conveyance that is used for collecting and conveying stormwater and that is directly related to manufacturing, processing or raw materials storage areas at an industrial plant. 

 

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems 

A conveyance or system of conveyances including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels or storm drains, owned or operated by a municipality or other public body, designed or used for collecting or conveying stormwater runoff and is not a combined sewer or part of a Publicly Owned Treatment Works. 

Report it!

Permit Central