The rapid conversion of land to urban and suburban areas has profoundly altered how water flows during and following storm events, putting higher volumes of water and more pollutants into the nation's rivers, lakes, and estuaries. These changes have degraded water quality and habitat in virtually every urban stream system. The Clean Water Act regulatory framework for addressing sewage and industrial wastes is not well suited to the more difficult problem of stormwater discharges. This book calls for an entirely new permitting structure that would put authority and accountability for stormwater discharges at the municipal level. A number of additional actions, such as conserving natural areas, reducing hard surface cover (e.g., roads and parking lots), and retrofitting urban areas with features that hold and treat stormwater, are recommended.

The NPDES Storm Water Sampling Guidance Document provides a comprehensive description of basic sampling requirements for NPDES storm water discharge permit applications and offers procedural guidance on how to conduct sampling. Many of the procedures in this manual are also applicable to the sampling requirements contained in NPDES storm water permits. Topics covered include background information and a summary of permit application requirements, the fundamentals of sampling (including obtaining flow data, handling samples, and sending them to the lab), analytical considerations, regulatory flexibility regarding storm water sampling, and health and safety considerations. This book will be a cornerstone of NPDES compliance for wastewater treatment plant managers and supervisors, consultants, laboratories, lab managers and chemists, regulators, current NPDES permit holders, and anyone applying for an NPDES permit.