Storm Water Management

The City of Windsor Heights is a Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) under the State of Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) general permit regulations.

This state regulation requires the City to establish its own Stormwater Pollution Prevention and Management Program. This permit is issued pursuant to the authority of section 402(b) of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S. C. 1342(b), Iowa Code section 455B.174 and rule 567—64.13, Iowa Administrative Code.

Stormwater management fees were implemented and are billed monthly to all Windsor Heights customers. The stormwater management fees raise revenues to fund the City of Windsor Heights’s stormwater management program and facilities. This program brings the City into compliance with federal regulations and safeguards our community directly through improved inspection and maintenance of critical stormwater infrastructure and indirectly through public education and outreach programs.

Please take a moment to complete our stormwater survey.

HELP PROTECT OUR RIVERS AND STREAMS BY REPORTING ILLEGAL DUMPING
Many of the storm sewers in Windsor Heights drain directly to Walnut Creek and do not go into a wastewater plant for treatment. It is important to prevent the introduction of materials into these drains, which could cause problems in the receiving streams.

PROHIBITED DISCHARGES TO STORM DRAINS AND STREAMS INCLUDE:
- waste oils and grease
- paints and associated products, like thinners, solvents, chemicals, etc.
- solids of any kind including yard waste (grass clippings, leaves)

IF YOU HAVE WITNESSED AN ILLEGAL DISCHARGE TO THE CITY SEWERS OR STREAMS AND WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A REPORT, PLEASE CALL City hall at 279-3662.  Please include your name and phone number, including the location of the suspected dumping

To report storm water related problems call 515-279-3662 during regular office hours.

The watershed includes the communities of Clive, Dallas Center, Des Moines, Grimes, Ubandale, Waukee, West Des Moines, and Windsor Heights. To learn more about how Walnut Creek affects the City of Windsor Heights click here.

Urban Storm Water Runoff
CAUSES

Quantity of Stormwater Runoff

Pervious surfaces, such as meadows and woodlands, absorb and infiltrate rainfall hence generate little runoff. Urban landscape typically covers such areas with impervious surfaces, such as pavement and rooftops. These impervious surfaces generate runoff every time it rains. (A typical city block generates nine times more runoff than a woodland area of the same size!) The quantity of runoff from these areas quickly overwhelms natural channels and streams, often causing channel erosion, localized flooding and property damage.

Quality of Stormwater Runoff –

The pervious and impervious surfaces in the urbanizing landscape collect pollutants such as automobile oil, grease, brake pad dust, sediment from construction sites, bacteria from animal waste, excess lawn care fertilizers and pesticides, as well as atmospheric deposition of phosphorus, nitrogen and other airborne pollutants. Rainfall washes these surfaces so the initial flush of runoff can carry high concentrations of these pollutants to nearby drinking water supplies, waterways, beaches and properties. Pollution washed from the land surface by rainfall is called nonpoint source pollution.

Storm Drains

What is a storm drain?
Storm drains are the openings you see along curbs and in streets and parking lots. They carry rainwater and snowmelt and transport it through the system to nearby lakes and streams. Water and other debris that enter storm drains do not go to a treatment facility.

What is a sanitary sewer?
A sanitary sewer takes household water and waste from toilets, sinks and showers, and transports it to a wastewater treatment facility. There, the water is treated and then discharged back to a lake or stream.

                                  

            Household                              Street surface

            Wastewater enters                  runoff  enters the underground
            the Sanitary System                 stormdrain system

What is stormwater?
Stormwater is the rainfall or snowmelt that flows over our yards, streets, parking lots, and buildings and either enters the storm drain system or runs directly into a river or stream.

How does stormwater get polluted?
As stormwater flows over our lawns and driveways, it picks up fertilizers, oil, chemicals, grass clippings, litter, pet waste, and anything else in its path. The storm drain system then transports these pollutants, now in the water, to local lakes and streams. Anything that goes into a storm drain eventually ends up in a river or stream.

Help keep pollution out of storm drains Click here

Sump Pumps
When warm weather approaches, so does the potential for serious rainstorms and flooded basements. For many homeowners the line of defense against water in the basement is a sump with a pump in it. The sump may be connected to drain tile that drains the footings of the house, under the entire basement, or just the area where the sump is located. Many houses have tiling installed only around a portion of the house. The water that drains into the sump must be removed, and this is accomplished with a sump pump.

The two basic sump pump models are the up-right (commonly called a pedestal) and the submersible. Either will work well with proper maintenance.

Pedestal pumps have the motor on top of the pedestal and the pump at the base, which sits on the bottom of the sump. The motor is not meant to get wet. The pump is turned on and off by a ball float. One advantage of this type of pump is that the on/off switch is visible so the action of the ball float can be easily seen.

Submersible pumps are designed to be submerged in water and sit on the bottom of the sump. The on/off switch is attached to the pump and can be either a ball float connected to an internal pressure switch or a sealed, adjustable, mercury-activated float switch. The sealed mercury switch is generally more reliable than the pressure switch.

Either type of pump should have a check valve on the water outlet pipe so water doesn't flow back in the sump when the pump shuts off. Water flowing back and forth can cause the pump to turn on and off more frequently than necessary and decrease the life of the pump.

How do you check or test a sump pump?
First, make sure the outlet pipe located outside your house is not frozen shut or plugged and that it directs water away from the house. Next make sure the pump is plugged in. Remove the lid (if the sump has one) and use a flashlight to check if the sump is clean and that the pump inlet is not plugged. Then slowly pour about 5 gallons of water into the sump. Try to simulate the speed that water would normally flow into the sump. Watch the action of the on/off switch and listen to the pump. Make the pump turn on and off at least twice. If something doesn't work right, fix it as soon as possible.

Where should the sump pump drain hose be run?
Preferably, sump water should be discharged at least 20 feet away from the house in such a way that it drains away from the house. It should not be directed onto a neighbor's lot, into window wells, or allowed to drain into your floor drain.

What size pump should I have for my house?
There is no "correct" size. The horsepower requirement for a house is determined by the area of drainage connected to the sump, the depth to groundwater, the depth of the basement, and many other factors. A 1/3 hp pump is satisfactory for most houses.

Can or should you pump into a sewer drain or basement floor drain?
No, you should not. If you have a septic system, under no circumstances should the sump be pumped into the basement floor drain. During wet conditions the drainfield of the septic system is usually saturated and struggling to handle the normal flow of water from the house. Adding to it with a sump pump can damage the septic system. Even if you are connected to a public system the sump should not be pumped into a floor drain. Putting additional water into the sewer system can overload the public system, and there are regulations against pumping into the public sanitary sewer system.

Flooding
What You Should Know During Flood Threats
The Walnut Creek is known for flash flooding. Flash flooding is a term used for small streams and creeks that are susceptible to quick rises in stream levels. As quick as these water levels reach their peak (crest) they begin to recede. Walnut Creek reaches from the City of Windsor Heights northwest to Dallas Center and stretches out between Grimes and Waukee. It is important to understand that only heavy rains within the Walnut Creek watershed will have an impact on flooding within the City of Windsor Heights.  Take this opportunity to view the Walnut Creek watershed map at

http://www.dallas-swcd.org/walnut_creek_watershed.htm.

If you are a homeowner or business owner in the City of Windsor Heights and you live or work within a flood prone area, pay close attention to heavy rain fall events within the watershed. Typical heavy rainfall events take place between May and June, but we have had major flood events in late winter and late summer as well. It is important you stay informed to the latest weather reports and information during wet weather periods. A NOAA weather radio will alarm you during the late evening and early morning. If you are at work, listen to the radio or access the NOAA Des Moines Internet site for the latest watches and warnings.

IIDNR protocols provide our City with suitable guidelines to design a local program that address the IDNR's six Best Management Practices (or BMPs), which are also known as "control measures". These six BMP's are designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from MS4s, to the maximum extent practicable, to protect water quality, and to satisfy the appropriate requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act. The six BMP categories are: