Stormwater Management Plan

Municipal Separate Sewer System (MS4)

Since the most recent U.S. Census, the City of Traverse City has been designated as a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) community. An MS4 is a system of stormwater conveyances—such as roads with drainage systems, curbs, gutters, catch basins, storm drains, and similar infrastructure—owned and operated by a municipality that discharges directly to surface waters of the United States and is not part of a combined sewer or wastewater treatment system.

With this new designation, the City is now required to obtain a state-issued MS4 permit and develop a comprehensive stormwater management program to reduce pollutants in runoff before it reaches local waterways, including the Boardman-Ottaway River, Grand Traverse Bay, and other connected water resources.

The City is currently in the process of applying for approval of its MS4 Stormwater Management Plan. This plan will outline how the City will meet permit requirements through public education, illicit discharge detection and elimination, construction site runoff controls, post-construction best management practices, and pollution prevention measures.

Our goal is to continue to protect water quality, reduce the impacts of stormwater on our natural resources, and promote community awareness about the important role we all play in safeguarding the City’s waterways for current and future generations.