Roads and bridges
Water quality protection on county roads
Hennepin County manages 2,200 lane miles of roadway and associated right-of-way throughout the county. An important part of this work is the proper treatment and discharge of stormwater. This is governed by the Municipal Storm Sewer System (MS4) permitting by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Learn more about MS4
The county inspects drainage infrastructures annually to ensure both proper drainage and that structures are properly filtering for water quality protection purposes. Road upgrades and maintenance include studying water quality for the best management practice and upgrading infrastructure when necessary.
MS4 Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP)
The Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program covers six minimum control measures to help reduce the discharge of pollutants from our storm sewer system, to the maximum extent practicable. The minimum control measures (MCMs) include:
- MCM 1 – Public education and outreach
- MCM 2 – Public participation/involvement
- MCM 3 – Illicit discharge detection and elimination
- MCM 4 – Construction site runoff control
- MCM 5 – Post-construction site runoff control
- MCM 6 – Pollution prevention/good housekeeping
Learn more about the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit
English
Spanish
Supporting MS4 documentation
MS4 permit/SWPPP document
Hennepin County MS4 permit (PDF, 1MB)
Standard operating procedures report
The standard operating procedures report below covers Hennepin County's MS4 Storm Water Pollution Prevention Program.
MS4 standard operating procedures (PDF, 1MB)
Regulatory enforcement standards document
The MS4 regulatory enforcement standards establish regulatory requirements to prohibit illicit discharges to the Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) and guide land-disturbing construction activities and post-construction stormwater management in Hennepin County. To view the enforcement standards, select the document below.
MS4 regulatory enforcement standards (PDF, 1MB)
Total maximum daily load (TDML) technical memorandum
A TDML is the amount of pollutants a body of water can receive and still meet water quality standards. Hennepin County's technical memorandum summarizes impaired waters in which Hennepin County has a waste load reduction for total phosphorus (TP) or total suspended solids (TSS).
Report suspected stormwater contamination
Any substance that is not stormwater or from a fire hydrant may be considered stormwater contamination. It is illegal to place anything in the stormwater system including:
- Sediment
- Oil/petroleum products
- Soaps/detergents
- Household or industrial chemicals
- Agricultural waste
- Sewage
Green Disposal Guide
To learn more about proper disposal of the items listed above, visit Hennepin County's green disposal guide.Report a roadway problem
Use this form to report potholes, debris/branches on the road, snow and ice issues, and drainage issues.