National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is a permit program to control water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States.
Polluted stormwater runoff is commonly transported through municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), and then often discharged, untreated, into local water bodies. An MS4 is a conveyance or system of conveyances that is:
- owned by a state, city, town, village, or other public entity that discharges to waters of the U.S.,
- designed or used to collect or convey stormwater (e.g., storm drains, pipes, ditches),
- not a combined sewer, and
- not part of a sewage treatment plant, or publicly owned treatment works (POTW).
To prevent harmful pollutants from being washed or dumped into specific types of MS4s, operators are required to obtain an NPDES permit and develop a stormwater management program plan (SMPP). The Village of Harwood Heights is an MS4 operator under the IEPA’s General Permit for Discharges.
A copy of the 2019 IEPA Notice of Intent can be found here: Notice of Intent
A copy of our most recent Annual Facility Inspection Report can be found here: 2026
Copies of previous Annual Facility Inspection Reports can be found below:
2025 2019
2024 2018
2023 2017
2022 2016
2021 2015
2020 2014
Village of Harwood Heights Stormwater Management Program Plan: Appendices 1-8, Appendices 9-21, Appendices 22-28
Village of Harwood Heights Discharge Detection and Elimination Program: Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination
Report a Concern
Contact the Village of Harwood Heights regarding problems with drainage features or illegal dumping into the storm sewer system. You can report anonymously here: [email protected]
Climate change description and link: Climate change refers to any change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time. Climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, among other effects, that occur over several decades or longer. As a requirement of the Village’s general NPDES Permit ILR40, consideration of impacts and effects of climate change on storm water, storm water controls, flood management and BMP implementation. A link to the EPA’s climate change research website is located here: https://www.epa.gov/climate-research
Public Outreach:
Protecting Water Quality from Urban Runoff
After the Storm - A Citizen's Guide to Managing Stormwater