Monroe County, Indiana

What is stormwater and why is it a concern?

Stormwater is the surface runoff resulting from rainstorms or melting snow.

As stormwater flows over impervious surfaces such as roads and parking lots, it often collects debris, chemicals, sediment and other pollutants before it flows to streams, lakes and other water bodies. In addition, excess runoff can contribute to more severe flooding events and cause erosion of valuable land.

Why is there a stormwater program?

The Clean Water Act and the Indiana MS4 General Permit require communities of a certain size to have a stormwater program that implements six Minimum Control Measures (MCMs):

1. Public education and outreach
2. Public participation and involvement
3. Illicit discharge detection and elimination
4. Construction site stormwater runoff control
5. Post-construction stormwater runoff control
6. Municipal operations pollution prevention and good housekeeping

The Monroe County Stormwater Program manages stormwater runoff within unincorporated Monroe County to minimize pollution and reduce flooding hazards in our waterways.

To report stormwater and drainage concerns:

(812) 349-2565 | storm@co.monroe.in.us

Click here to report Detention Facility and Infrastructure Issues.

Illicit Discharge Reporting

Have you seen any dumping or other illegal discharge into or near a storm drain, stream, ditch, or lake in Monroe County? Please use the reporting form below (anonymity allowed) and the department will follow up with your concern:

Illicit Discharge Reporting Form 

Thank you for helping us protect our waterways!

What services does the Monroe County Stormwater Program provide to the community?

• Infrastructure improvements in the public right-of-way to reduce flooding and drainage issues
• Plan reviews to ensure runoff is properly captured at new development sites
• Construction site inspections for compliance with required pollution prevention measures
• Public education and outreach to help our community understand water quality issues
• Identify and address illicit discharges to the storm sewer system and area lakes and streams

Stormwater Program Resources

• Updated Chapter 761 Monroe County Stormwater Management Ordinance 6/5/2024
• Former Chapter 761 Monroe County Stormwater Management Ordinance
• Long Range Stormwater Plan (Feb 2016)
• MS4 Annual Report (2018-2020)

Important Construction Stormwater General Permit Update

As of 12/18/2021, IDEM no longer administers the construction stormwater permit program through Rule 5 (327 IAC 15-5).  Construction stormwater runoff is now regulated through the administrative Construction Stormwater General Permit (CSGP), a performance-based regulation designed to reduce pollutants associated with construction site runoff and/or land-disturbing activities.

You can find a copy of the new CSGP here. 

For more information about the transition to CSGP and the new performance standards click here.  For a detailed description of the CSGP and the new performance standards click here.  For a detailed description of the CSGP construction process within Monroe County, visit our Stormwater Permitting page.