Storm Water Management

In 2005, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandated that local government agencies in Fairbanks develop, implement, and enforce a Storm Water Management Program to control pollutants being discharged from their storm drain systems to local water bodies. 

In response, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, City of Fairbanks, City of North Pole, Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, and University of Alaska Fairbanks (each owning segments of the storm drain system in the Fairbanks area) teamed up to create the program and collectively tackle storm water pollution. The program's focus is to improve the water quality of the Chena River, Noyes Slough, Chena Slough, and all other water bodies to which storm water discharges in the Fairbanks area.

The City of Fairbanks is a co-permittee on the AK Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (APDES) Individual Permit for our small municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) inside the Fairbanks Urbanized Area. The City of Fairbanks is responsible for implementation of the associated Storm Water Management Program along with three co-permittees: Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and City of North Pole. The current permit is effective through June 30, 2023 and has been administratively extended beyond that date until a new permit is issued. 

The program implementation is a cooperative effort guided by a committee made up of the four co-permitees and with participation from two local citizen representatives, and a representative from the Fairbanks North Star Borough.  We also partner with local non-profit Tanana Valley Watershed Association, industry representatives, and the Fairbanks Soil & Water Conservation District. 

A quarterly Fairbanks Storm Water Advisory Committee (FSWAC) meeting is held on the second Thursday of every third month from 10:30am-12:00pm. Please go to Upcoming Events to see the latest FSWAC meeting and associated agenda/minutes.

The public is encouraged to attend any meeting in person at City Hall, Engineering Conference Room (Main Level) or remotely through Microsoft Teams using the following link, Meeting ID, and Passcode.

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YjVjNjY4Y2EtMTU4YS00OGNiLTk5MTQtMmRjZTk0YzE1MWVj%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2236f206a3-52ad-4c4f-a3bc-1fbf8dd6e987%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22d91a560e-f06e-4ffa-9e8e-6d6dca5f2e84%22%7d

Meeting ID: 286 485 343 277, Passcode: xMNai4

**Contact: John O’Brien, Environmental Analyst, City of Fairbanks at jobrien@fairbanks.gov , or (907) 987-5880 to answer any questions. 

CLICK HERE for information on how to report a discharge that may violate existing regulations

CLICK HERE to view the Geographic Information System (GIS)

CLICK HERE to view past Fairbanks Storm Water Discharge Annual Reports

CLICK HERE to view FNSB Ordinances Related to Storm Water

CLICK HERE to view the FNSB Storm Water Management Program page 

CLICK HERE to view the City of North Pole Municipal Code
(See Chapters 12.24, 15.66, and 15.74)