Storm Water Pollution Prevention
Runoff from precipitation on our campuses, whether from rain or snow melt, flows to storm sewers. Most of these storm sewers run directly to the bodies of water in and around our campuses, with no treatment to remove pollutants. Many pollutants can have a significant and direct effect upon these bodies of water, impacting sensitive wetlands and in severe situations posing a threat to the surrounding communities.
Because of this, it is important that we protect the environment that we all share. The best way to protect this environment from harm is to prevent polluting materials from entering the storm sewer system. To help keep our waterways clean, OCC has developed a Storm Water Management Program (SWMP) and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP) for the campuses. These plans have been created in compliance with the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and associated state and federal rules and regulations.