PHASE II STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Stormwater discharges in the Town of Falmouth are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II Stormwater Permit Program. Under this program, Falmouth was required to obtain NPDES permit coverage under the 2016 "General Permit for Stormwater Discharges from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s)" for its stormwater discharges. This permit program was created with the intention of improving the quality of the nation’s waterways by reducing pollutant loads associated with stormwater runoff. Under this permit, Falmouth is required to develop and implement a Notice of Intent (NOI) and Stormwater Management Program (SWMP), which identifies Best Management Practices (BMPs) the Town will implement to address the following six "minimum control measures (MCMs)":

1. Public Education and Outreach
2. Public Participation and Involvement
3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
4. Construction Site Runoff Control
5. Post-Construction Runoff Control
6. Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations

Falmouth submitted its Notice of Intent (NOI) to EPA and MassDEP in September 2018 to meet permit requirements which summarized Falmouth’s proposed SWMP to comply with the permit, which is detailed further in Falmouth’s written SWMP Plan originally prepared in June 2019 with updates ongoing. Falmouth submits Annual Reports to EPA and MassDEP by September 30th of each year summarizing the progress of its SWMP. The NOI and Annual reports are available on EPA’s website.

Click the links below to learn more about stormwater management in Falmouth.

• What is stormwater?
• Resources for Residents.
• Resources for Commercial and Businesses.
• Resources for Developers and Site Operators.
• Resources for Industrial Facilities
• Falmouth Stormwater Materials

Other Resources 

• EPA NPDES MS4 Information
• Massachusetts Stormwater Handbook and Standards
• MAPC’s Low Impact Development Toolkit
• Cape Cod Commission’s Stormwater Website
• Think Blue Massachusetts
• Falmouth Water Stewards