Oswego is situated along the banks of the Fox River. Our town grew here because it was an easy place to cross the river. The river’s ribbon runs through our community with life-sustaining clean water that we value. Water quality is important to protect fish, wildlife, aquatic life habitats, aesthetic value, and most important, public health. Morgan Creek, Waubonsie Creek, and Blackberry Creek all pass through our community and feed the Fox River. Lakes and other on-stream bodies of water are also considered part of the receiving water system.

Rain is important to the vitality of our lawns, farms, lakes, streams, and rivers. However, as stormwater travels across all surfaces, it can pick up debris, soil, garbage, pet waste, chemicals, salt and hazardous wastes. These materials can affect the quality of water entering our water bodies.

Residents can do their part to reduce pollutants entering our waterways:

• Store materials out of drainage ways such as ditches and floodplains
• Do not dump any materials into storm sewers, inlets, drainage ditches, wetlands, or rivers
• Wash your vehicle on your grass
• Test your soil and apply the minimum amount of fertilizers and weed control necessary to maintain your lawn
• De-chlorinate your pool water before draining your pool each fall

The Federal Clean Water Act requires that practical measures be taken to ensure that pollutants are not discharged into Waters of the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is the permit program that authorizes discharges into the Waters of the United States. Under the second phase of the NPDES, small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) must obtain a permit for discharges.

Oswego filed its first Notice of Intent (NOI) to comply with the statewide general permit conditions in 2003. The Village filed the second NOI in 2013. The Village filed the third NOI in 2016, and the fourth NOI in 2021.The regulations require that the NOI address how the community will meet the six minimum control measures within five years of the initial NOI. The six measures are:

• Public Education and Outreach
• Public Participation/Involvement
• Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
• Construction Site Runoff Control
• Post-Construction Runoff Control
• Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping

In 2015, the Village developed a master Stormwater Management Program Plan to provide a consolidated resource for the Village's NPDES Program. The SMPP addresses the six minimum control measures. Annual reports are filed with IEPA which address the work that the Village has completed in the past year. Previous annual reports may be found at the following links:

The NPDES Phase II regulations authorize communities to take credit for work done by Qualified Local Programs (QLP). In Kendall County, the Kendall County Department of Planning, Building & Zoning serves as the QLP. Kendall County’s Countywide Stormwater Ordinance, which was adopted by Oswego, is the regulatory document for development in the county. Compliance with the ordinance ensures that water quality is maintained both during and after construction of new developments. The Village takes credit for Kendall County activities for all minimum control measures with the exception of the Illicit Discharge programs and housekeeping activities.

For more information on NPDES Phase II, visit the following sites:

• EPA's Official NPDES Phase II page
• The Center for Watershed Protection

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