Stormwater Management

If the stormwater from rainfall or snowmelt does not soak into the ground, it will either flow to natural-surface waterways or into storm sewers, which ultimately direct the water back into natural watercourses

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The term stormwater refers to surface water that originates during rainfall or snowmelt. If stormwater does not soak into the ground, it will flow either to natural surface waterways or into storm sewers, which ultimately direct the water back into natural watercourses with or without treatment. In cities with combined sewers and storm drains, during rainfall, stormwater mixed with untreated sewage is designed to overflow into receiving bodies so that it does not inundate sewage treatment plants. This combined sewer overflow is a significant source of urban nonpoint source pollution.

In the United ...