The proposed permit can be found on the Federal Register :: New Mexico Statewide Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit Proposal.
EPA Regulation of Stormwater in Santa Fe County
Programs in place
These programs regulate the stormwater discharges of Santa Fe County as part of Phase II regulations issued in 1999. These regulations require that small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) apply for permits.
New Mexico is one of four states that do not have authorization to issue permits under the Clean Water Act, including also Idaho, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. This means that the Federal agency, EPA, issues permits directly to local governments (cities and counties) and to New Mexico businesses and construction sites.
While new stormwater regulations have not yet been formally proposed or codified, EPA has incorporated many new features into the General Permit for New Mexico. This Watershed General Permit was proposed on Feb. 12, 2013.
As part of the Clean Water Act and NPDES regulations, businesses performing industrial activities may need to acquire coverage under the Multi-Sector General Permit. Additional information may be found here:
Industrial Activities and Stormwater
Contractors performing construction activities involving one or more acres may also be required to gain coverage under the Construction General Permit to be in compliance with Clean Water Act and NPDES regulations. Additional information may be found here:
Santa Fe County's Stormwater Program
Under these regulations, Santa Fe County is required to obtain permits to allow discharges to sections of the Santa Fe River. Once the general permit was published in 2007, Santa Fe County Public Works Department revised the original plan and submitted a revised Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) with a formal permit application on March 18th, 2013.
An updated Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) was presented to the BCC on May 1, 2024 and adopted per Resolution No. 2024-064. The SWMP was submitted to EPA on July 31, 2024.
New Watershed General Permit NOI
A Notice of Intent is a formal declaration or legal document stating that an agency or company is filing an application to discharge water to a regulated stream. In this case Santa Fe County has filed a notice of intent (NOI) to discharge storm water into sections of the Santa Fe River, including its tributary arroyos. The eNOI form and attachments were delivered to USEPA, Region 6 (Dallas) in 2013.
This NOI does not reflect the entirety of the county stormwater program, merely our intention to comply with the new permit, and some general descriptions. Because of limitations of the form itself, the text is very abbreviated and cursory. The county is still in the process of developing new program elements, as are all other agencies working together on this permit.
Supporting Documentation
EPA Annual Reports (in Compliance with MS4 Permit NMR040000)
Supporting Reports & Figures
Figures
- Santa Fe Urban Area Map
- MS4 Priority Areas Map (supplemental to urban area map)
- Santa Fe River Impairments & TMDL Information Map
- County Outfalls and Conveyances Map
- MS4 Dry Weather Field Screen Locations
- Proposed Wet Weather Monitoring Locations
- Santa Fe County Pollutant Sources and Priority Areas
Reports
- Santa Fe County Stormwater Monitoring Program Recommendations (6.24..2026)
- Field Samlping Plan for Stormwater Quality Monitoring (supplemental to Monitoring Program recommendations)
- Quality Assurance Project Plan for Stormwater Quality Monitoring (supplemental to Monitoring Program recommendations)
- Recommendations or Alterations to Santa Fe County Codes Related to Stormwater Management (2.21.2026)
- Stormwater Program Summary and Recomendations for Compliance with the MS4 permit (5.9.2025)
- MS4 Outfall Screening Report (2.12.2025)
- County Code Review and Recommendations Related to MS4 Permit Requirements (7.7.2023)
Administrative Comments
On March 4, 2026 the EPA published a proposed state-wide New Mexico Municipal Seterate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit. This permit, if codified, would replace the existing NPDES Permit NMR04000. The porposed permit can be found on the Federal Register :: New Mexico Statewide Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit Proposal.
Santa Fe County Comments on proposed NPDES Permit No. NMR04B000
On March 6, 2024, the EPA Region 6 NPDES Permitting and Wetlands Section shared a New Mexico Strawman MS4 Permit with operators across New Mexico. This document served as a working space to develop an updated draft permit to replaced the 2007 permit.
Santa Fe County Comments on the 2024 EPA MS4 Strawman Permit