Stormwater

The City adopted its Stormwater Management Master Plan in 2011. The primary purpose of the plan's level of service criteria is to protect public safety and property. The goals are to maintain passable roads for emergency and evacuation traffic, and control flood stages below homes and buildings as practicable. Since the plan's adoption and more so since 2014, the accomplishments associated with raising the elevation of the roads and installing new storm water collection and pumping systems is world renowned.

The Engineering, Infrastructure, Sanitation, and Environmental Management Divisions of the City work together to protect and improve the environment; more specifically the ambient water quality surrounding the barrier islands making up the City of Miami Beach. The City follows a model of continuous improvement and quality management, where existing practices and technologies are constantly evaluated and adjusted to enhance the quality of our stormwater discharges. The techniques used are known as "Best Management Practices" (BMPs) and as each new technique is implemented, a robust feedback loop provides the team with real world results to better inform the decisions on where to dedicate resources.

The foundation of the City's stormwater management program are the requirements set forth by the Clean Water Act of 1972 and regulated through the Environmental Protection Agency's National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program. The city has established BMPs that meet and, where feasible, exceed the requirements of our NPDES permit through a comprehensive program that includes education and outreach, good housekeeping, as well as the use of cutting edge equipment and industry-vetted operational practices. Our program is designed to reduce the pollutants that can be picked up by stormwater and trap and remove a large percentage of those pollutants that do make it into our stormwater system. Each year the City details these activities and their anticipated efficiency at preventing stormwater pollution in the NPDES Annual Report, which is submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) for review and approval. The NPDES Annual Reports that have been approved by FDEP are now available here. As subsequent reports are approved, they will also be posted online.