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STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

The Town of New Canaan’s Public Works Department would like to remind residents that it is everyone’s responsibility to protect our water courses, including storm drains and roadside ditches which lead directly to our ponds and rivers.  Any paint, oil, pet waste, leaf debris, trash or water from washing your car that enters a storm drain will make its way into our water courses.

The goal of proper stormwater management is to ensure the health, safety and general welfare of the public and to protect and enhance the water quality of our water course and water bodies by reducing pollutants in stormwater discharges. We rely on our community to do their part to help protect our environment.


Adherence to the Town of New Canaan’s Drainage Certification Policy is required prior to the development of any lot or any construction which:

  1. Increases impervious surfaces, including gravel, by 500 square feet or more in the ½ Acre Zone or smaller or
  2. Increases impervious surfaces, including gravel, by 1,000 square feet or more in the One Acre Zone or larger or
  3. Any excavation or other activity that could affect drainage, as determined by the Town Engineer or permit reviewing department

 Helpful Stormwater Management Resources:

  1. Town of New Canaan’s Drainage Certification Policy
  2. Town of New Canaan's Drainage Certification Template
  3. New Canaan Town Code Chapter 52 – Stormwater Quality Management
  4. CT DEEP 2004 Connecticut Stormwater Quality Manual
  5. Connecticut Department of Transportation 2000 ConnDOT Drainage Manual
  6. Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR)

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit

 As defined by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), the General Permit for the Discharge of Stormwater from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4 General Permit) is the product of a mandate by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) as part of its Stormwater Phase II rules in 1999.

 MS4 Annual Reporting for the Town of New Canaan:

  1. DRAFT 2022 MS4 Annual Report
  2. DRAFT 2021 MS4 Annual Report
  3. 2020 MS4 Annual Report 
  4. DRAFT 2019 MS4 Annual Report
  5. Stormwater Management Plan
  6. Annual Report
  7. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Plan

As part of the MS4 General Permit, the Town of New Canaan is required to educate its residents to aspects related to stormwater management and protection of our water courses. The following links provide helpful guidelines to preventing illicit discharges:

  1. Impacts of Feeding Canadian Geese
  2. Lawn Care Brochure
  3. Managing Pet Waste
  4. Property Management
  5. Swimming Pool Discharge
  6. Stormwater Brochure
  7. Urban Stormwater Runoff
  8. Keeping Mercury Out of our Water 

Five Mile River Watershed Evaluation

In 2008, Milone & MacBroom was selected to evaluate the Five Mile River Watershed and prepared the following report, dated February 11, 2010, summarizing their findings:

Five Mile River Watershed Evaluation