The following MS4 Program Plan is a management tool for the County to comply with the MS4 Permit.  The MS4 Permit gives the County authorization to discharge under the Virginia Stormwater Management Program regulations, Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Regulations, and the Virginia State Water Control Law. The following is an excerpt from the General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems.

 The permittee shall develop, implement, and enforce a MS4 program designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the small MS4 to the maximum extent practicable (MEP) in accordance with this permit, to protect water quality, and to satisfy the appropriate water quality requirements of the State Water Control Law and its attendant regulations. The permittee shall utilize the legal authority provided by the laws and regulations of the Commonwealth of Virginia to control discharges to and from the MS4. This legal authority may be a combination of statute, ordinance, permit, policy, specific contract language, order, or interjurisdictional agreements. The MS4 program shall include the minimum control measures (MCM) described in Part I E. For the purposes of this permit term, implementation of MCMs in Part I E and the Chesapeake Bay and local TMDL requirements in Part II (as applicable) consistent with the provisions of an iterative MS4 program required pursuant to this general permit constitutes compliance with the standard of reducing pollutants to the "maximum extent practicable," provides adequate progress in meeting water quality standards, and satisfies the appropriate water quality requirements of the State Water Control Law and its attendant regulations.

Stormwater runoff plays a critical role in the quality of water resources within the Commonwealth and regulatory language requires that Phase II municipalities develop a plan with the purpose of describing best management practices to be implemented in order to ensure their impact on the environment is minimal.

Augusta County has been authorized to discharge stormwater from its municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) by having coverage under the Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) General Permit for Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems. From the regulatory language, the permittee shall develop, implement, and enforce a MS4 program designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the small MS4 to the maximum extent practicable (MEP), to protect water quality, to ensure compliance by the permittee with water quality standards, and to satisfy the appropriate water quality requirements of the State Water Control Law and its attendant regulations.

Part I Discharge Authorization and Special Conditions E. Minimum Control Measures 1 through 6 describe the requirements for the County’s proposed plan to comply with the corresponding minimum control measures (MCM) and the Special Conditions. The six (6) MCM and Special Conditions are:

1. Public Education and Outreach

2. Public Involvement/Participation

3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination

4. Construction Site Runoff

5. Post-Construction Stormwater Management

6. Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations

Special Conditions: Action Plans for Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL) requirements for the Chesapeake Bay and other TMDL watersheds if applicable

MS4 - Program Plan 2023-2028 Draft

MS4 - Program Plan 2018-2023 Updated 2022

TMDL Action Plan 2018-2023 2023 Update

TMDL Action Plan 2018-2023 2021 Update

TMDL_Action Plan_2018-2023 (2018)

Augusta County Annual Report 2022_2023

Augusta County Annual Report 2021_2022

Augusta County Annual Report 2020_2021

Augusta County Annual Report 2019-2020

Augusta County Annual Report 2018_2019

EPA: EPA on the MS4

DEQ: MS4 Permits 

Chesapeake Stormwater:  Be Bay Friendly

Clean Stream .org

Pet Waste Pick Up