Storm water, Flood insurance Storm water issues rain down on municipalities By Charles Nahn, III Storm water used to be just a minor nuisance when walking from your car to the office or when you're trying to get in a round of golf. However, recent federal and state regulations and court decisions have turned storm water into a larger issue for municipalities, forcing them to address the quantity and quality of storm water discharge from their municipal boundaries.
Storm water is defined as precipitation flowing off the land surface.
The increased storm water quantity results in larger peak flows and storm volumes, which intensify localized flooding downstream. Recently, several downstream landowners sued upstream municipalities due to increased flooding caused by upstream development. Storm water quality can also decrease as a site is developed. Since storm water is released untreated to a receiving water body, significant degradation of stream habitat can occur. Municipalities now must obtain permits allowing them to discharge storm water into water bodies.