Storm Water Pollution Protection (MS4)

Point of contact for citizen inquiries and reports: Mario J. Tristany Jr., Town Planner
860-376-7060x2111 or townplanner@griswold-ct.org

Managing Rainwater Runoff
The leading cause of water quality problems today is from polluted stormwater.  Unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants (which is more easily controlled), this type of pollution, also known as nonpoint source pollution, or NPS, comes from a variety of human activities on the land.  It's the main reason that approximately 40% of the nation's rivers, lakes, and estuaries are not clean enough to meet basic uses such as fishing or swimming.  Each of us contributes to the problem without even realizing it.

The "General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems" (MS4 General Permit) is the product of a mandate by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of its Stomwater Phase II rules in 1999.  This general permit requires each municipality to take steps to keep the stormwater entering its storm sewer systems clean before that stormwater enters water bodies.  The CTDEEP General Permit can be found here:

One important element of this permit is the requirement that town provide information to make residents aware that stormwater pollutants originate from many of our everyday living activities, and to provide steps that we can take to reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff.

The following are links to materials as part of the Town of Griswold's efforts to meet these requirements.

Town of Griswold Stormwater Management Plan

Town of Griswold MS4 Annual Reports
Annual Report 2017/2018/2019
Annual Report 2020
Annual Report 2021
Annual Report 2022
Annual Report 2023

Mapping
Town of Griswold Drainage Map
Town of Griswold Local Drainage Basins
Town of Griswold Impaired Waterbodies and Priority Areas
Stormwater Pollution Management in Connecticut
NEMO MS4 Map

PUBLIC EDUCATION & OUTREACH
CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Stormwater Management
Stormwater and Water Quality
Municipal Stormwater
Griswold MS4 Fact Sheet

University of Connecticut (UCONN)
UCONN & NEMO MS4 Guide

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Sources

Stormwater Hotline:
If you would like to report an issue or comment on a Stormwater related topic such as: illegal/illicit discharges, connections, municipal storm drain maintenance & operation, stormwater quality, illegal dumping, concerns about proposed and ongoing land disturbance and development activities, or just helpful tips for improved overall stormwater management, please contact Todd Babbitt (Director of Public Works) at (860) 376-7080 or email townplanner at griswold-ct.org.