WHAT IS STORMWATER?

Did you know that we get an average of 22.3 inches of rain per year in Lincoln? Have you ever wondered where all that water goes? In natural areas where urban development hasn’t occurred, stormwater absorbs into the ground. However, where urban development has occurred, there are more impervious surfaces, like rooftops, paved roads, driveways, and parking lots, which limit the ability of the stormwater to be absorbed into the ground. As a result, stormwater flows across rooftops, over the ground, through gutters, into storm drains, and ultimately into the local waterways.

As the stormwater flows over the urban landscape, it picks up and carries whatever it comes into contact with along the way. This may include animal waste, automobile fluids, pesticides, litter, and other pollutants, which may harm local waterways. In addition, the waterways can also be impaired if materials like soapy water, oil, or paint are disposed of incorrectly or dumped directly into the curb and gutter or storm drain.

The storm drainage system within the City of Lincoln consists of curbs, gutters, and storm drains, and it ultimately discharges untreated water to the local creeks and ravines. The storm drainage system is separate from the sewer system, which means that the water that flows into the storm drain system does NOT get treated by the Wastewater Treatment and Reclamation Facility.

The City is very fortunate to have three beautiful waterways flowing through our area: Markham Ravine, Auburn Ravine, and Raccoon Creek. The City implements a comprehensive stormwater management program aimed at raising awareness of stormwater-related issues, protecting local waterways, and fulfilling the requirements of the Phase II Small Municipal Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit (Phase II Permit). The Phase II Permit requires the City to have a Stormwater Program that controls the discharge of pollutants into the City’s storm drainage system and our waterways. The City’s Stormwater Program is multi-faceted and includes the following components:

The City is also subject to two other water quality regulations: The Pyrethroid Pesticide Control Program, which requires the City to implement a Pyrethroid Management Plan to reduce pyrethroid levels in municipal stormwater discharges, and the Statewide Trash Amendments, which requires the installation of trash capture systems throughout the City. More information on what you can do to protect our waterways from pesticides and trash is provided on these pages: