By Sharon Bosley, Executive Director for the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission
This recent weather pattern of moisture is great for rebuilding groundwater supplies, but it can be tough on local surface waters. Water flows over driveways, parking lots, and roads, gathering oil, fertilizer, and other pollutants before entering nearby storm drains. Many people assume that from there stormwater heads to a treatment plant, but it doesn’t. Most storm drains connect directly to our creeks, rivers, and Coeur d’Alene Lake without any treatment along the way.
To keep our waters clean, the City of Coeur d’Alene operates under what’s called a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, or MS4, permit. It’s part of the federal Clean Water Act and requires communities to take steps that reduce pollution in stormwater runoff. MS4 permits are regulated as large or small systems. Large cities with populations over 100,000 operate under Phase I permits, while smaller cities and urbanized areas, like Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls, are regulated under Phase II. The requirements are similar, but Phase II communities can tailor their programs to fit local needs and resources. The goal is the same: to stop pollution before it reaches the water.
Under its MS4 permit, Coeur d’Alene maintains a Stormwater Management Program that focuses on public education, community involvement, pollution detection and prevention, and runoff control at construction and development sites. Each of these areas targets a different part of the stormwater problem, but together they make a noticeable difference.
A big part of the program is public education and outreach. The city helps residents understand that what goes down a storm drain flows straight to Coeur d’Alene Lake or the Spokane River. Simple actions, like picking up pet waste, using fertilizers sparingly, and properly disposing of household chemicals, can prevent harmful pollutants from entering the water. When people understand their connection to stormwater, they make choices that keep our water bodies cleaner.
City staff also work year-round to track down and eliminate what are known as “illicit discharges”, anything entering the storm system that isn’t rain or snowmelt. That can include leaking sewage lines, wash water from outdoor cleaning, grease and garbage from commercial alleys, or even illegal dumping. Detecting and stopping these discharges protects waterways from bacteria, oils, and chemicals that can harm fish and wildlife.
Construction and development projects are another major focus. When soil from a job site washes into a storm drain, it clouds the water, smothers fish habitat, and fills in streambeds. The city’s stormwater team works closely with builders to ensure erosion and sediment controls are in place, keeping dirt where it belongs, on the site, not in the lake.
Once construction is finished, developers are required to include long-term stormwater controls that allow runoff to soak into the ground naturally. “Green infrastructure” features mimic how the landscape worked before development, filtering and slowing the flow of stormwater before it reaches the storm drain.
Even city operations fall under the MS4 umbrella. Municipal crews receive training in proper handling of street sweeping, de-icing, and vehicle maintenance, ensuring the city sets an example of good housekeeping in its own work. In addition, the city’s annual leaf fest satisfies permit requirements because leaves and other yard waste are considered pollutants when they enter the storm sewer system. As leaves decompose in water, they release large amounts of nutrients, primarily phosphorus and nitrogen.
Stormwater runoff is now one of the leading causes of water pollution in the United States, but programs like MS4 give communities a way to fight back. By focusing on prevention and public awareness, cities like Coeur d’Alene are protecting the lake and river systems that define the region.
Residents play a vital role too. Every time someone picks up after a pet, sweeps a driveway instead of hosing it, or chooses to wash their car at a facility where water is treated, it makes a measurable difference. To protect stormwater, always drain hot tubs to the sanitary sewer, an indoor drain, or a spot on your property where water can soak into the ground—never to the street, sidewalk, or storm drain. Clean water begins at the curb, and the City of Coeur d’Alene and its residents work together through the MS4 program to keep our rivers, creeks, and Coeur d’Alene Lake clean and healthy for generations to come. And because the City can’t be everywhere at once, residents can help by reporting any suspected illicit discharges at www.cdaid.org/reportspills or call (208)676-7405.
