National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) This is an EPA permit program which took effect in 1972 and is responsible for significant improvements in the quality of our nation's waters. The County of Henrico has a permit with both the state of Virginia and the EPA which allows us to discharge our stormwater into our rivers. This permit also has guidelines for improvements which the County implements on an ongoing basis like BMPs, stream restorations, stream cleanings, and many others .
New Grease Disposal Program Fats, Oils and Greases (FOG) from restaurants is arguably the biggest problem facing our water systems today. From stopping up the sewer lines and causing sewage overflows to being spilled into our storm drains both during pickup and during dumping, the impact to our environment is alarming. The County of Henrico is proposing a new ordinance which should drastically slow and eventually bring to a trickle the damage done to our waterways by restaurant grease within our borders.
New Stormwater Program The County has put a concerted effort into a new program which improves our situation daily. New positions which are solely dedicated to the stormwater NPDES program are making an impact by:
Investigating illicit dischargers and eliminating the sources
Informing the public of just how important stormwater is to our surrounding waterways and what they can do to help.
Maintaining the NPDES permit and making sure that the County of Henrico is in compliance
Tracking spills, overflows, and dumpings within the County. This allows us to see patterns and find illegal dumps quicker.