NPDES Stormwater Permit Program in New England
The Clean Water Act authorizes EPA and states, which are delegated the authority by EPA, to regulate point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program. So-called "point sources" are generated from a variety of municipal and industrial operations, including treated wastewater, process water, cooling water, and stormwater runoff from drainage systems. The NPDES Stormwater Program (national EPA NPDES site), in place since 1990, regulates discharges from municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), construction activities, industrial activities, and those designated by EPA due to water quality impacts.
- Administration
- Large & Medium MS4 Permits
- Small MS4 Program
- Construction Activities
- Industrial Activities
- Residual Designations
- Tools and Resources
Administration
EPA Contacts
MS4 Program
MA: Newton Tedder (tedder.newton@epa.gov), 617-918-1038
NH: Michelle Vuto (vuto.michelle@epa.gov), 617-918-1222
Construction General Permit (CGP) Program
Michelle Vuto (vuto.michelle@epa.gov), 617-918-1222
Dewatering and Remediation General Permit (DRGP) Program
Shauna Little (little.shauna@epa.gov), 617-918-1989
Industrial/Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) Program
Abdulrahman Ragab (ragab.abdulrahman@epa.gov), 617-918-1695
Residual Designation Authority (RDA) Permitting
General: Newton Tedder (tedder.newton@epa.gov), 617-918-1038
NH: Danielle Gaito (gaito.danielle@epa.gov), 617-918-1297
State Contacts
Connecticut
CTDEEP Water Regulating and Discharges
Chris Stone (chris.stone@ct.gov), 860-424-3850
Maine
Maine DEP Stormwater Program
Rhonda Poirier (rhonda.poirier@maine.gov), 207-592-6233
Massachusetts
MassDEP Stormwater Program
stormwater.DEP@mass.gov
New Hampshire
NHDES Stormwater Program
Hayley Franz (Hayley.Franz@des.nh.gov), 603-271-0671
Rhode Island
RIDEM Stormwater Program
Margarita Chatterton (margarita.chatterton@dem.ri.gov), 401-222-4700 x 7605
Vermont
Vermont DEC Stormwater Program
Kevin Burke (kevin.burke@vermont.gov), 802-490-6168
Christy Witters (christy.witters@vermont.gov), 802-490-6173
EPA Region 1 Issued Large & Medium MS4 Permits
EPA Region 1 Small MS4 Program for Massachusetts and New Hampshire
EPA is proposing to modify the 2016 Massachusetts MS4 Permit and the 2017 New Hampshire MS4 Permit. For more information please see the permit specific web pages below.
- 2003 Small MS4 Permit General Permit Archives for Massachusetts & New Hampshire
- 2016 Massachusetts Small MS4 General Permit
- 2017 New Hampshire Small MS4 General Permit
Construction Activities
- Do I need NPDES Permit Coverage for Discharges Related to my Construction Activity and Which General Permits are Available (Flow Chart)? (pdf) (648 K)
Depending on the nature of the dewatering activities at a given site, the Construction General Permit, and/or the Remediation General Permit may be required. - Obtaining permit coverage for your construction activity
This site provides links to the 2022 Construction General Permit (CGP), the online filing system for Notice of Intent (NOI) and Notice of Termination (NOT) forms (CGP-Net), and the online searchable NOI database. - EPA Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Guidance
Provides guidance and templates for the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), site inspections, and other requirements of the CGP. - New Hampshire Alteration of Terrain Permit
This webpage includes information of the New Hampshire Alteration of Terrain permit which may be required in addition to CGP coverage.
Industrial Activities
- 2021 Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP)
- Impaired Waters Information - Massachusetts
- Impaired Waters Information - New Hampshire
- 2021 MSGP Monitoring Guidance for Discharges into Impaired Waters (Part 4.2.5) - Parameters and Methods
- Massachusetts (pdf) (178 K)
- New Hampshire (pdf) (180 K)
- How can I avoid the need for a Storm Water Permit for my industrial activity (i.e., a No Exposure Exclusion)?
Residual Designations
The Clean Water Act (CWA) and related regulations define the specific industrial and municipal stormwater sources that must be authorized by an NPDES permit. The CWA recognizes that other sources, such as commercial properties, may need to be regulated on a case-by-case or category-by-category basis based on additional information or localized conditions. The authority to regulate other sources based on the localized adverse impact of stormwater on water quality through NPDES permits is commonly referred to as the "Residual Designation" authority.