MCM 1: Public Outreach & Education

The public outreach and education portion of the MS4 requires Regulated Small MS4s to develop and implement a program that promotes awareness of pollution prevention techniques and engagement with local watershed quality. Protect your watershed!

What is Stormwater?

Stormwater is rain water and melted snow that runs off streets, lawns, and other sites. In undeveloped areas, stormwater is absorbed into the ground and is naturally filtered. In developed areas, impervious surfaces (i.e. pavement and roofs) prevent precipitation from naturally soaking into the ground causing runoff.

What is Runoff?

When it rains in developed areas such as Virginia Tech’s campus, water that is not absorbed by soil or vegetation runs directly over paved surfaces collecting pollutants and then runs into storm inlets. These inlets then discharge the untreated runoff into local waterways.

Check out more information on the EPA’s MCM1 Fact Sheet.

What can you do to prevent stormwater pollution?

• Check out our GIS Map to learn where our outfalls are on campus!