Stormwater Management History

Effective February 15, 2006 the District Department of the Environment Establishment Act of 2005 created a new agency to manage environmental issues within the District. The legislation transferred the Storm Water Administration duties out of Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) to the newly created DDOE within one year. Accordingly, the Storm Water Administration was transferred from WASA to DDOE on February 15, 2007.

The District of Columbia is served by two different types of sewer systems: (1) A combined sewer system (CSO) that serves one-third of the District; and, (2) a separate storm sewer system that serves the remaining two-thirds of the District. The area served by the separate storm sewer system is regulated by the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) for stormwater discharges for a large Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4). DDOE is one of four agencies charged with the responsibility of implementing activities to comply with the NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) Permit. DDOE works with WASA, DDOT, and DPW – or the MS4 Task Force – to ensure that the City complies with the requirements of the MS4 NPDES Permit. In December 2007 DDOE signed an agreement with the USEPA to clean up pollution from stormwater runoff from our streets into the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers. DC has taken a lead nationally by establishing an innovative approach – via the Permit – to meet federal requirements to reduce pollution. EPA hailed this approach as one of the most aggressive green strategies nationally to reduce storm water runoff, a major contributor to pollution in the Anacostia and Potomac rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.

The District Department of Environment (DDOE) and EPA have carefully coordinated over the last year to incorporate enhanced and green storm water management practices beyond the basic requirements of the District's Storm Water Management Permit (MS4). Mayor Fenty said, "I am pleased with the new MS4 enhancement agreement and look forward to the long-range effects of improving the District water quality and quality of life."

For more information on the City’s Permit or on stormwater activities, contact the following:

Hamid Karimi, PhD
Deputy Director, Natural Resources Administration

District Department of the Environment
51 N Street, NE, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20002

Tel: (202) 535-1636
Fax: (202) 535-1364
Email: hamid.karimi@dc.gov