ABSTRACT
Point sources—industrial sites in particular—have received the greatest attention in modern times for control of contaminants associated with stormwater pollution. Accordingly, point sources are at the forefront of approaches to reducing contaminated discharges. To achieve compliant stormwater discharges, this chapter addresses point source BMPs (BMP.s), process and operational changes, potential bypass, and “no discharge” opportunities. The required Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) is used as a guide for evaluating each of the elements needed to ensure compliance with Clean Water Act mandates.
Source control measures prevent the release of pollutants so that the water is never contaminated. Treatment systems (Chapter 9) remove the pollutants from the stormwater before it reaches the ocean. The “no discharge” option—when properly implemented—eliminates this environmental concern. As much as possible, the objective should be to avoid contaminating, or eliminating entirely, contaminated stormwater runoff. Point source industries involving chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, iron and steel production, painting and stripping operations, fuel and fiber manufacturing, treatment of hazardous materials, and scrap metal recycling industries are at the top of the list for reducing stormwater contaminant levels.
