Did you know that JMU has a permit (called an MS4 permit) from the state of Virginia that allows our University to collect rainwater runoff in our storm drains and release it into our campus streams and lake?

- Think of it as a rulebook and a promise: JMU promises to keep trash, oil, dirt, and chemicals out of the rainwater that enters our storm drains on campus. The permit is our promise to keep the water as clean as possible before it flows untreated into local waterways.

A common misconception is that the University operates under the City of Harrisonburg's permit. Both JMU and the City of Harrisonburg have separate permits.

By definition, a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) is a conveyance or system of conveyances otherwise known as a municipal separate storm sewer system, including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, manmade channels, or storm drains.

Operators of large, medium, and regulated small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems are required to obtain permit coverage in order to discharge pollutants to state waters. The large, medium and small designations are based on urban areas as determined by census data. JMU has been designated as a small MS4 and has obtained general permit coverage which requires the development of a program plan to cover the following minimum control measures:

• Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts (MCM 1)
• Public involvement/participation (MCM 2)
• Illicit discharge detection and elimination or IDDE (MCM 3)
• Construction site stormwater runoff control (MCM 4)
• Post-construction stormwater management (MCM 5)
• Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations (MCM 6)

Public comments and/or input on the University's MS4 Program Plan or TMDL Action Plans may be submitted at any time to the Stormwater Coordinator at stormwater@jmu.edu. Comments are welcome for any of the linked documents below.