The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is an EPA permit program which took effect in 1972 and is responsible for significant improvements in the quality of our nation’s waters. EPA delegated this permit authority to the State and in Virginia this permit is known as the VPDES permit. The County of Henrico has a VPDES permit which allows us to discharge our stormwater into state waters. This permit also has guidelines for improvements which the County implements on an ongoing basis. These improvements include BMPs, stream restorations, stream cleanings, and many others.
- The VPDES program is making an impact by:
- Investigating illicit dischargers and eliminating the sources
- Informing the public of the importance of stormwater to our surrounding waterways and what they can do to help.
- Maintaining the NPDES permit and making sure that the County of Henrico is in compliance
- Tracking spills, overflows, and dumpings within the County. This allows us to see patterns and find illegal dumps quicker.
NPDES/VPDES Links
Where does all the dirty water go?
Information on protecting your community from sanitary sewer overflows.