What is MS4?
MS4 stands for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System
According to the Federal Government, "municipal separate storm sewer" means a conveyance
or system of conveyances (including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins,
curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, or storm drains):
(i) Owned or operated by a State, city, town, borough, county, parish, district, association, or
other public body (created by or pursuant to State law)...including special districts under
State law such as a sewer district, flood control district or drainage district, or similar entity,
or an Indian tribe or an authorized Indian tribal organization, or a designated and approved
management agency under section 208 of the Clean Water Act that discharges into waters
of the United States.
(ii) Designed or used for collecting or conveying storm water;
(iii) Which is not a combined sewer; and
(iv) Which is not part of a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) as defined in 40 CFR 122.2.
Town of Chesterton - Storm Water Quality Management Plan
In August 2004, the Town of Chesterton published the Storm Water Baseline Characterization
Report-Rule 13 Storm Water Quality Management Plan (SWQMP) - Part B. The purpose of this
plan was to provide the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) with a
baseline water quality characterization of all known waters that receive storm water outfall
discharges within the MS4 area. This report provides information on the following:
water quality problems.
In May 2005, the Town published the final portion of the SWQMP - Part C: Program Implementation.
Essentially, the Part C serves as the plan of implementation necessary to meet the State's permitting
requirements for the first five year permit cycle, and to establish a storm water quality program for the
Town. The plan will be revised annually and submitted to IDEM at the time of permit renewal every five
years .