Operating Instruction 5.24.2.1 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Compliance

System Procedures
 Chapter 5 - Administration

Access a PDF copy of this guideline

for Board Policy 5.24

Part 1. Purpose
To provide the colleges and universities of Minnesota State with information regarding the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) MS4 permit requirements. The purpose of MS4s and stormwater systems are to control stormwater runoff, minimize erosion, and prevent contaminants from entering storm sewers and exit into wetlands, lakes, rivers, and streams. This Operating Instruction is supported by the System MS4 Technical Manual.

Part 2. Regulatory Standards
MPCA issues MS4 general permits within the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to protect Minnesota wetlands, streams, and lakes. The federal Clean Water Act and Minnesota Administrative Rules Chapter 7090, Storm Water Regulatory Program, Parts 7090.1000 to 7090.1040, govern the MS4 general permit process.

Part 3. MS4 General Permits
MPCA requires MS4 general permits for Minnesota State campuses that:

  • Are located in an urbanized area based on that area’s census population, AND
  • Have 1,000 individuals in daily attendance, OR
  • Have been designated by MPCA as being required to have an MS4 permit.

Affected colleges and universities are required to satisfy the requirements of the MS4 general permit. The MS4 permit includes an administrative application and campus-specific Stormwater Pollution Prevention Programs (SWPPP).

Part 4. MS4 Coordinator
The president of a campus with an MS4 permit shall appoint an MS4 Coordinator. The MS4 coordinator is responsible for ensuring requirements listed in the System MS4 Technical Manual are implemented and followed.

Part 5. MS4 Systems
An MS4 system is a conveyance or system of conveyances (roads and parking lots with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, storm drains, etc.) that is:

  • owned or operated by a public entity having jurisdiction over disposal of sewage, industrial wastes, stormwater, or other wastes (for Minnesota State purposes this means all college or university owned or operated properties),
  • designed or used for collecting or conveying stormwater,
  • not a combined sewer, and
  • not part of a publicly owned treatment works.

Part 6. MS4 Technical Manual
Each campus with an MS4 permit shall follow instructions in the System MS4 Technical Manual.

Related Documents:

Operating Instruction History:

Date of Adoption: 10/07/14
Date of Implementation: 10/07/14
Date of Last Review: 05/09/18

Date and Subject of Amendments:

05/09/18 - MPCA found during their audits of our MS4 permits that our current guideline enforcement response actions didn’t meet MS4 permit requirements. It was determined that the current 5.24.2.1 Guideline was more of a technical manual. The decision was made to develop a new Operating Instruction meeting the current governance requirements and change the existing guideline into a technical manual to support the new Operating Instruction.

No Additional History.

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