Water Quality

Johnson County is working with Johnson County communities and other communities, counties and local, regional, and state agencies in the Kansas City metropolitan region to reduce the discharge of pollutants to stormwater runoff. Reducing the discharge of pollutants to stormwater is accomplished through public education and outreach, public involvement and participation, illicit discharge detention and elimination, post construction runoff control, construction site runoff control and pollution prevention practices performed by municipalities.

The National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) mandates that the County and multiple cities within Johnson County reduce stormwater pollution to the maximum extent practicable. The SMP is assisting the County and cities with meeting the NPDES regulations by:

• Providing a model stormwater management program plan
• Funding public education and participating in outreach activities focusing on stormwater pollution
• Creating model ordinances, procedures and manuals for cities to adopt
• Providing employee training materials for municipal employees
• Creating a central countywide stormwater pollution prevention hotline and an on-line illicit discharge report form