Stormwater Program

811 SW 6th Avenue

Portland, OR 97204

Phone: (503) 229-5696

(800) 452-4011

Fax: (503) 229-5850

Contact: Erich Brandstetter

www.oregon.gov/DEQ

Eastern Region

475 NE Bellevue 

Suite 110

Bend, OR 97701

Phone: (541) 388-6146 

 (866) 863-6668

Fax: (541) 388-8283

Contact: Krista Ratliff

www.oregon.gov/DEQ

Northwest Region

2020 SW 4th Avenue, 

Suite 400

Portland, OR 97201

Phone: (503) 229-5263

Fax: (503) 229-6945

Contact: Jennifer Weaver

www.oregon.gov/DEQ

Western Region

165 E. 7th Avenue,

Suite 100

Eugene, OR 97401 

Phone: (541)686-7838

 (800)844-8467

Fax: (541)686-7551

Contact: Mark Riedel

www.oregon.gov/DEQ

City of Portland

Bureau of Environmental 

Services

6543 N. Burlington Ave.

Portland, OR 97203-5452

Phone: (503) 823-5320

Contact: Michael Pronold

Clean Water Services

2550 SW Hillsboro 

Highway

Hillsboro, OR 97123

Phone: (503) 681-5129

Contact: Clayton Brown

City of Eugene

410 River Avenue

Eugene, OR 97404

Phone: (541) 682-8616

Contact: Jonathan Wilson

Reducing Copper in Industrial 

Stormwater

Background 

DEQ administers stormwater permits that set 

conditions for how Oregon businesses must 

manage stormwater and surface runoff in order 

to reduce pollution and protect the environment. 

These permits are officially called National 

Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 

Industrial Stormwater General Permits No. 1200-

COLS and 1200-Z. These permits regulate the 

discharge of stormwater to surface waters from 

certain categories (types) of industries by 

establishing benchmarks, goals and identifying 

best practices to better protect Oregon’s waters.

This document provides guidance for businesses 

evaluating copper in their stormwater discharge. 

DEQ does not endorse a specific form of 

pollution control or treatment. Oregon businesses 

can choose the option that works best to meet the 

conditions of the stormwater permit. 

Too much copper is harmful 

Copper from stormwater runoff is harmful to fish 

and other aquatic life, especially salmon. In 

freshwater, this concentration can be as low as 

0.18 μg/L for salmon. Altered behaviors from 

exposure to copper include disruption of their 

sensory system, predator avoidance, and 

migration. 

The copper benchmark of a concentration less than 

0.020 mg/L is considered protective to our marine and 

freshwater aquatic life. (Photo courtesy msn.com) 

Sources of copper in stormwater 

discharge from industrial facilities 

The most common sources of copper found at 

industrial facilities include the following: 

 Vehicle brake pads 

 Architectural copper 

 Copper-containing pesticides 

 Marine antifouling coatings 

 Vehicle servicing and cleaning 

Other less common and often overlooked sources 

of copper include: 

 Various roofing materials 

 Air emissions (gas and diesel combustion) 

 Soil erosion 

 Wood preservatives 

 Domestic water that discharges to 

stormwater 

 Highway stormwater runoff 

How to reduce copper in stormwater 

discharge 

There are several options for reducing copper in 

an industrial facility’s stormwater discharge. 

These include: 

 Use BMPs (best management 

practices),including source control (i.e., 

eliminating or reducing the sources of 

copper) 

 Treatment of stormwater (treating and 

removing copper in stormwater runoff) 

 LIDs (low impact developments) 

Based on the most common sources of copper, 

generally the two most effective methods are: 

 Prevent copper containing material from 

entering your facility 

 Source control BMPs (i.e., eliminate the 

source of copper before it comes into 

contact with precipitation or stormwater 

runoff) 

Educating employees to avoid purchasing 

materials that contain copper or to seek 

alternatives may help reduce the copper 

containing materials that come onto a facility. 

This may be a difficult task as most facilities 

have a variety of contractors that drive onto or 

through their site or copper containing materials 

Fact Sheet
 

Last updated: 12/16/14

By: Mark Riedel

were utilized in the construction of the 

infrastructure at a facility. These factors may 

make source control BMPs the more viable 

method of these two options for reducing copper 

in your stormwater discharge. 

Once copper comes into contact with 

precipitation and mixes with stormwater runoff a 

facility will need to determine the best way to 

treat the runoff. Selecting a treatment method or

BMP to reduce copper levels in stormwater can 

be difficult and costly. When determining how to 

reduce copper in stormwater it is important to: 

 Assess the sources of copper 

 Collect good samples and follow protocols 

to maintain quality data (from both the 

source and the entire site) 

 Evaluate the current site conditions and 

BMPs already in place to determine if 

improvements can be made 

Each business is unique and there is no single 

solution to eliminating copper in a facility’s

stormwater discharge. It may be advisable to hire 

a consultant or qualified professional who has 

knowledge of the available treatment systems 

and their effectiveness. 

How to reduce copper in stormwater 

runoff from dust and debris: 

Copper is utilized in the manufacturing of brake 

pads. Dust generated from frictional wearing of 

the brake pad can be deposited throughout your 

site. Removal of this dust and debris may help 

lower the copper in the stormwater discharge. 

 

Brake pad dust can be a source of copper in 

stormwater runoff. (Photo courtesy of hybridcars.com) 

Source Control BMPs: Sweep parking areas, 

loading docks, and other paved surfaces to 

minimize the amount of copper from brake pads 

entering stormwater runoff. Sweeping removes 

large and small particles and with them, motor 

oil, hydraulic fluid, and tire dust. Sweeping may 

also remove other pollutants that are deposited 

on the on paved. 

Other BMPs: Develop a sweeping maintenance 

and housekeeping program. Vacuum-assisted dry 

sweepers are very effective at removing solids 

and fine dust that contains copper. 

Treatment: Install a catch basin treatment 

system to remove fine dust that may contain 

copper. Vendors offer filtration and cartridge 

systems that are designed specifically to target 

the removal of copper from stormwater 

discharge. 

LIDs: Reroute stormwater runoff from paved 

(high traffic) areas and loading docks to an area 

on the property where the stormwater can filter 

through a vegetated surface and/or into a 

stormwater biofiltration swale that encourages 

the infiltration of stormwater into the ground. 

Stormwater bioswales, rain gardens, infiltration, 

and detention basins are a few examples of LIDs 

that may reduce copper concentrations in a 

facility’s stormwater discharge. 

How to reduce copper from marine 

antifouling coatings in stormwater 

runoff: 

Business with SIC codes of 3731 and 3732, 

Sector R of the industrial stormwater permits 

(i.e., ship and boat building and repair yards) 

may have unique sources of copper that are not 

common at most industrial sites. These sources 

of copper in stormwater discharge include: 

 Copper debris generated during vessel 

washing (Note: Pressure washing used to 

remove marine growth from vessels must be 

permitted as a process wastewater by a 

separate NPDES water quality permit) 

 Copper debris generated during vessel 

blasting and painting area. Paint chips, 

abrasives and overspray may contain 

elevated levels of copper 

Marine antifouling paint can be a source of copper in 

stormwater runoff. (Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org) 
 

Generally the most effective practices for source 

control involve housekeeping, preventative 

maintenance, and employee education. Facilities 

should consider minimizing the generation of 

debris during blasting operations and also 

minimizing the overspray that could come into 

contact with stormwater discharge. In addition, 

sweeping surfaces to remove copper-enriched 

dust and debris, or relocating/covering industrial 

activates that may produce copper dust and 

debris to prevent contact with precipitation or 

stormwater runoff. 

Additional resources

There are several websites available to assist in 

performing a self-evaluation of copper sources. 

An internet search for the term “reducing copper 

in stormwater” should bring up several listings.

DEQ has prepared an Industrial Stormwater Best 

Management Practices Manual that discusses 

copper and several other pollutant sources and 

identifies actions you can take to reduce 

pollution in stormwater. 

The State of Washington has posted videos on 

their Washington Stormwater Channel. Videos 

include BMPs to reduce copper and other 

pollutants in stormwater. 

Another resource may be Oregon State 

University Extension Service. You can check 

their website for the availability of classes and 

information that address reducing impact from 

stormwater discharge. 

To speak with someone about reducing pollution 

in stormwater please contact the DEQ 

regional office in your area. 

Alternative Formats 

Alternative formats of this document can be 

made available. Contact DEQ’s Office of 

Communications & Outreach for more 

information at (503) 229-5696. 

Hearing impaired, dial 711.