Stormwater Management
What is Stormwater Management?
Stormwater management is the practice of managing water discharge that is originated from rain. Stormwater that does not soak into the ground becomes surface runoff and can eventually drain into waters such as Lake Pontchartain, Lake Maurepas, or Lac des Allemands. Pollutants such as dirt, chemicals, debris and litter can impact these waters and eventually lead to water quality degradation for our region.
What Can the Parish Do?
In accordance with the United States Clean Water Act, as amended and the Louisiana Environmental Quality Act, as amended, St. John the Baptist Parish holds a permit from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality regulating stormwater discharge from a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4 Permit). In order to comply with the stipulations of this permit, the Parish maintains an MS4 Stormwater Management Plan which outlines various actions the Parish can take to improve water quality Parishwide. A PDF of this plan and the Parish's MS4 Permit can be found below:
2024 MS4 Stormwater Management Plan(PDF, 3MB)
MS4 Permit(PDF, 2MB)
As outlined in the plan, various Parish departments work collaboratively to improve stormwater management and ensure a healthier future for citizens across the Parish. Examples of such activities include outreach to citizens, enforcement of illegal dumping, and policy development to better address stormwater discharge resulting from increased development.
What Can Residents Do?
Community support is critical to ensure the success of our stormwater management program as citizens play an active role in protecting local water resources. There are certain steps residents can take to reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff including disposing of litter and waste in an appropriate manner, cleaning up pet waste, washing vehicles over lawns, recycling motor oil and used antifreeze, participating in community-wide cleanups, and more.
How Can We Stay Informed?
Feel free to contact the Planning and Zoning Department with any questions about the Parish's Stormwater Management Plan or action the Parish is taking to improve our water quality. Further, this page will regularly be updated with policies, ordinances, outreach and any other improvements to stormwater management practices in the Parish.