The short answer
NPDES stands for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. This Clean Water Act program regulates certain discharges to waters of the United States.
A permit establishes the conditions, monitoring, and reporting that apply to an authorized discharge.
Does your Michigan facility need coverage?
The answer depends on three things:
- Your industrial activities — what your facility actually does.
- Exposure to stormwater — whether industrial materials or activities are exposed to precipitation.
- Where stormwater discharges — how runoff leaves your site.
Start with your actual operations and drainage—not just your business name or whether some work happens indoors.
Permit coverage and “no exposure”
These are different paths. Expand the sections below for a quick explanation.
What does an ongoing program involve?
- A Certified Operator with responsibility for the facility’s stormwater program.
- A current SWPPP — your Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan.
- Recurring work and records — inspections, visual assessments, monitoring, and reporting required by your permit.
Your particular permit determines what is required. Laboratory testing requirements vary; they are not identical for every facility.
Start with these three checks
- Coverage: Find your permit, authorization, or certification and check its status and applicable deadlines.
- Site documents: Review your SWPPP and drainage map against the way your facility operates today.
- People and records: Confirm who owns each task, verify Certified Operator status, and organize inspection and program records.
Need help getting it organized?
Clean Stormwater can review your program, identify what needs attention, and manage the ongoing inspections and documentation. You get a dedicated team and clear next steps.
Official resources: EPA: NPDES permit basics · EGLE: Industrial Stormwater Program
Guidance reviewed October 5, 2026.
