To report an illicit discharge into the City stormwater system, please call 785-832-7800.
To report a stormwater blockage, click here.
As part of the City’s Land Development Code, a Land Disturbance Permit is required for construction and improvement activities that will disturb the land. To learn more about this new permit, click here.
Stormwater is the water that flows over the ground after it rains, snows, or sleets. It can become polluted as it runs over hard surfaces and flows downstream.
All stormwater runoff eventually enters the river. Along the way it may flow along curbs, into storm drains, through pipes, into ditches, and into streams. The City storm system discharges to the river system at dozens of locations.
Stormwater Collection
The city’s stormwater conveyance system is the private and public drainage facilities other than sanitary sewers with the City of Lawrence by which urban run-off may be conveyed to receiving waters, such as the Kansas and Wakarusa Rivers.
It includes but is not limited to: roads, streets, constructed channels, aqueducts, storm drains, pipes, street gutters, inlets to storm drains or pipes, and catch basins.
Lawrence’s MS4 Stormwater Permit
Lawrence’s 2025-2029 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Stormwater Permit is issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and authorizes the City to discharge stormwater from our municipal storm sewer system to the waters of the State. The permit outlines the requirements for implementation of the six minimum control measures the City needs to meet in order to help conserve and protect its stormwater resources. It covers activities such as public outreach, spill investigations and responses, and construction site design standards and practices, and monitoring of pollutant levels in our discharging streams.
Stormwater Management Plan
The Stormwater Management Plan for Lawrence, KS provides more detailed information about how the City intends to comply with its permit responsibilities, including a list of specific programs, measurable goals, and schedules. The plan may be updated on a yearly basis. The plan below was created in compliance with Lawrence’s current NPDES MS4 permit, issued by KDHE, and covers activities from 2019 through 2024.
Stormwater Management Master Plan
The Stormwater Management Master Plan was completed in 1996 by Burns and McDonnell, consulting engineers. This plan contains recommendations for storm sewer improvements, engineering standards, maintenance work and program funding.
Additional Documentation:
Stormwater Pollution Prevention
Why is stormwater pollution an issue?
Urban areas produce high concentrations of pollutants that are carried to the river by stormwater runoff. Examples include:
- Vehicles (oil, gas, antifreeze, heavy metals, salt and litter)
- Homes and businesses (fertilizers, pesticides, pet waste, yard waste, chemicals, trash and debris)
- Construction sites (soil sediment, trash and debris)
These pollutants are washed into the drainage system and discharged to our streams and rivers. This changes the physical, biological and chemical composition of the water, resulting in an unhealthy environment for aquatic organisms, wildlife and humans. Sediment and debris can also lead to increased flooding.
What can I do to reduce stormwater pollution?
Everything that winds up on the ground is likely to enter the drainage system. Our individual choices play a huge role in how much pollution we generate. Starting at your doorstep, think of everything that you do that adds pollution to stormwater, and then try to think of solutions. Here are some easy examples:
- Don’t litter.
- Contain your curbside trash so that it won’t leak, fall over or blow around.
- Take a walk to pick up litter and debris before it rains.
- Sweep your garage and driveway into a dustpan rather than into the street.
- Don’t pitch cigarettes out the car window.
- Repair vehicle or equipment leaks.
- Wash your car in the grass or in a covered carwash station.
- Take all of your unwanted paint, chemicals, cleaners, fuels, pesticides and hazardous waste to the Lawrence/Douglas County Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
- If you choose to use lawn chemicals, don’t over-apply.
- Don’t over-water your lawn.
- Clean up after your pet before it rains.
- Don’t dump anything except water into a storm drain.
What is an illicit discharge?
To report an illicit discharge into the City stormwater system, please call 785-832-7800.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, “An illicit discharge is defined as any discharge to a municipal separate storm sewer system that is not composed entirely of stormwater”. City of Lawrence Code 9-902 A(1) lists common stormwater contaminants as “trash, yard waste, lawn chemicals, pet waste, wastewater, oil, petroleum products, cleaning products, paint products, hazardous waste and sediment.”For more information on stormwater pollution and managing waste materials, call the Municipal Services & Operations Department at 785-832-7800.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued regulations in 1999 that require the City of Lawrence to comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater program.
The City of Lawrence Code was updated in 2001 to require landowners and citizens to use better practices to prevent pollution of streams, lakes, rivers and groundwater.
Resident Information
Lawn Care to Prevent/Reduce Runoff –
Plant Natives and help reduce rain runoff! Native plants have deep roots that help soak up stormwater and reduce flooding in our area. Spend time this Spring to make native plants a part of your landscape—even a small corner can make a big difference!
Tips for stormwater friendly lawn care:
- Only plant species that are suited to the soil type
- Make a rain garden to help with flood control and runoff
- Only plant grass in areas that will actually be used as lawn
Find more information and resources on the Planting Natives in Northeast Kansas Website: https://plantnativeks.weebly.com/landscaping-with-native-plants.html
Yard Waste and Leaves –
Streets are part of the City of Lawrence stormwater collection system. Leaves left along the curb are unable to be picked up by street sweepers and can enter storm drains, increasing the risk of localized flooding and adding pollutants to the receiving streams and rivers.
Four Easy Ways to Handle Your Leaves & Lawn Trimmings:
Household Hazardous Waste
Household Hazardous Waste represents a wide variety of wastes that are produced as a result of normal household activities. Among the most common of these are pesticides, paints, solvents, automotive fluids, batteries, chemicals and cleaners.
Each of these products may pose a threat to sanitation workers or public health and the environment when improperly handled or disposed of.
Other Resident Information
Technical Information
Frequently Asked Questions
In 1993, a Stormwater Task Force was formed to find solutions to decades of flooding problems in Lawrence. After several years of planning, the City Commission established this fee to provide funding for maintenance and improvements to the storm sewer system.
All parcels of land in Lawrence are subject to this fee, including City and other tax-exempt properties. If you are the only customer associated with a property, then you should be charged a fee. If there are multiple customers associated with a property, then you may or may not be charged a fee, depending on the billing established for the property.
Fees are based on the area of impervious surface on the property. The amount charged is determined by multiplying the number of Equivalent Residential Units (ERU) by the current rate.For billing purposes, the area of impervious surface is the area of ground covered by roofs, concrete or asphalt.ERU is the area of impervious surface on an average single-family residential property. In Lawrence, this is determined to be 2,366 square feet. The number of ERUs assigned to a commercial property should be the total impervious surface divided by 2,366.Total impervious surface is not known for every residential property; therefore the number of ERUs is based on building footprints. Additional information is located on the
Utility Billing Rates page.
The City does not regulate grading on single-family residential properties unless the area is in a drainage easement. If a neighbor has created a dam that impacts your property, you should ask the property owner to correct the situation.If a neighbor has directed drainage onto your property, you should ask the property owner to correct the situation. However, it’s important to recognize the prevailing drainage patterns. If you are directly downhill, then your neighbor may not have many options. The best solution may involve working together to direct drainage in a way that minimizes adverse impacts.If the property owner refuses to correct a situation causing drainage damage on your property, your next course of action could be a civil suit. If you have damages, the property owner may be held responsible.Often these situations require cooperation among several property owners. Difficult drainage problems may even require professional help.
First, determine where the water is entering the building. If it’s coming up through a floor drain, you’re probably experiencing flooding of the sanitary sewer, and you should contact the Municipal Services & Operations Department at (785) 832-7800. Sanitary sewers are often overloaded during storms. The Municipal Services & Operations Department may be able to check the sewers for obstructions.
If water is flooding from a working sump pump, you probably have problems with the grading around your house. All areas of your yard should slope away from the building. The sump pump discharge line should be as short as possible but should discharge well away from the building. If these precautions are taken and you still have a problem, you are probably experiencing groundwater flow. A second sump pump and backup power may be necessary to keep up with the water.
If the water is entering the basement through windows or doors, you have a true stormwater flooding problem. If the runoff comes from your yard only, you need to correct the grading of your yard to direct water away. If the runoff enters your property from other properties or the street, there’s a good chance your location is already identified for future improvements.
Drainage easements are usually platted with subdivisions, however, they may also be granted individually. All plats and easements must be recorded with the Douglas County Register of Deeds. The City also keeps digital records of drainage easements.
City Code specifically prohibits any obstruction in a drainage easement. Obstructions include man-made barriers such as fences, sheds, firewood and debris, and natural barriers such as trees and brush. If the City determines that a barrier is in fact an obstruction, a violation notice will be issued with instructions to remove the barrier.Drainage easements are platted to provide a path for stormwater runoff, either on the ground or in a buried system. Property owners are responsible for maintenance on their property to keep drainage easements clear. No grading or construction of any kind may occur in a drainage easement without specific approval from the City.
Fences do not require a permit from the City, so chances are that the City has not reviewed the location and it is not ok. As the property owner, you will bear the cost of fence removal once a violation notice is issued. There are a few rare cases where the City has determined that a barrier in a drainage easement is not an obstruction. The City should have previously issued a letter to document the location.
For swimming pools, the best practice for draining them is to neutralize the chlorine in the pool. Then, the water is safe to be drained into your yard.
Check out KDHE’s guidance on draining swimming pools: Disposal of Swimming Pool Water (PDF)
Repair requests can be made by contacting Municipal Services & Operations Customer Service at 785-832-7800 to request a field inspection. If the structure is a public storm drain, it will be added to the repair list.
This is possibly a sinkhole that formed over the top of a buried storm sewer pipe. Requests can be made by contacting Municipal Services & Operations Customer Service at 785-832-7800.
Requests can be made by contacting Municipal Services & Operations Customer Service at 785-832-7800.
You have two choices. You can either pay the City to install the additional culvert or you can obtain plan approval from the City and pay a private contractor to do the work. Culverts installed without City approval will not be maintained and may be removed by the City. Contact Municipal Services & Operations at 785-832-7800 to request a field inspection and more information.
