Keep Water Resources Clean

Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination

The Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Minimum Control Measures (MCM) are directed towards reducing the number of pollutants that enter the City's storm sewer system as a result of directly dumping, or allowing the runoff of, any material that is not entirely comprised of stormwater. The New Ulm Storm Water Ordinance identifies allowable discharges into the storm sewer system, with anything else being an illicit discharge.

Examples of an illicit discharge are:

  • Dumping of chemicals (fertilizer, herbicides) or petroleum products (gasoline, oil, paints) into storm drains, roadways, sidewalks, or alleys
  • Failure to remove sediments transported or tracked onto City right-of-way and/or streets by vehicles, construction traffic, rainfall events or other means, within 24 hours of it being deposited on the street
  • A pipe carrying sewage, or any other material, that is directly connected to the storm sewer system
  • Placement of debris (grass clippings, leaves, trash, construction debris) into storm drains, roadways, sidewalks, or alleys

Report

If you suspect or see an illicit discharge you can report it to the New Ulm Engineering Department at 507-359-8380 or by completing the Anonymous Reporting Form (PDF) and either emailing it to Joseph Stadheim, dropping it off at City Hall, or mailing it to:
City of New Ulm - Engineering Department
100 North Broadway
New Ulm, MN 56073

Construction Site Runoff Control

Erosion from construction sites has the potential to be 10 times greater than erosion from farming, and nearly 200 times greater than erosion from your lawn. Sediment pollutes our rivers, lakes, and streams, and can plug up your local storm sewer system, causing backups and flooding during rain events. The state of Minnesota currently regulates construction sites that disturb more than 1 acre of land by requiring the property owner and the contractor to apply for a MPCA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) construction permit. Information regarding the state permitting process can be found on the MPCA's website.

Regulate Construction Sites

The City of New Ulm, in an effort to comply with the City's Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), to protect area waters and our own storm sewer system, has decided to regulate construction sites that:

  • Change a drainage way
  • Construct a road or driveway steeper than 5%
  • Construct a utility line longer than 1,000 feet
  • Disturb more than 1,000 square feet of land
  • Excavate or fill 100 cubic yards of material

Permit Process

The permit and the permit requirements were created as a part of the New Ulm Storm Water Ordinance. The requirements for obtaining a New Ulm Storm Water Permit, and the permit compliance requirements, are broken down into two separate categories: Small Sites, and Large Sites.

Post Construction Site Runoff Control

As a part of the New Ulm Storm Water Ordinance, the City of New Ulm enacted minimum design standards for permanent erosion and sediment control devices, connections to wetlands, and other Best Management Practices (BMPs). Anyone who is engaging in the development of a site, or redevelopment of a site, should read through section 13.06 of the ordinance.