Stormwater Quality
The Stormwater Quality Division was created as a result of the Environmental Protection Agency’s phase two Stormwater regulations of the Clean Water Act which the City of Midwest City is required to meet.
The goal of these regulations is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters so that they can support the protection of fish, wildlife, and recreation in and on our water.
To maintain safe and clean water resources, our technicians conduct a variety of specialized work skills, and also receive professional training certifications through multiple state and nationally recognized programs. Below are a few of the specialized tasks carried out by our technicians.
Water Quality Monitoring
Every month, Stormwater personnel conduct water quality sampling throughout the city. We have five local creeks in Midwest City and each one is sampled:
- Kuhlman Creek
- Crutcho Creek
- Soldier Creek
- Choctaw Creek
- Silver Creek
We measure and record a variety of environmental and chemical parameters including:
- dissolved oxygen (DO)
- alkalinity
- turbidity
- pH
- temperature
- salinity
- weather conditions
- any odors present
- overall condition of the stream
We also collect water samples at each location to be tested for additional chemical components or bacteria that may indicate an issue with the health of the stream. For more information, or if you would like to organize a resident's science class on creek sampling in your local creek or pond, please contact us by calling 739-1040. We have programs geared toward all school-aged children as well as adults who would like to learn more about scientific sampling and water quality.
Emergency Response
Any time a large amount of hazardous material is spilled, and there is a threat that the pollutant has reached or will reach a water of the state (i.e. one of our creeks), our Stormwater staff has been trained to respond very quickly, day or night, to make sure the health and safety of our streams remains intact. All contaminants must be cleaned up and any receiving body of water must be properly remediated. Emergency spills can be anything from a large amount of vehicle fluids flowing into or towards a storm drain, commercial or private sanitary sewer overflows, and releases of other hazardous materials from construction, commercial or industrial sites.
Inspections
Our staff routinely inspects businesses, residences, and ongoing construction projects to ensure Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) regulations are upheld and to prevent illicit discharges of pollutants from entering our storm drains, and subsequently, our waterways.
Inspections on Stormwater infrastructure (i.e. retention and detention ponds, weirs, rain gardens, bioswales etc.) at residential, commercial and municipal properties are also conducted, along with inspections at each one of our outfalls (the discharge points along our creeks) during periods of dry weather to determine if there are illicit discharges of water and wastewater into our creeks.
If you suspect an illicit discharge of hazardous substances has occurred, please call us and explain the situation. We would be happy to send someone out to investigate. Detergents, sediment, grass clippings, broken water lines, and raw sewage are some of our most common complaints.
Household Hazardous Waste
The Stormwater Quality Department is responsible for the collection and proper disposal of household generated hazardous waste. Hazardous waste cannot be disposed of with normal solid waste items in the poly-cart, because it can harm not only the environment, but can also cause damage to the equipment and even seriously injure our sanitation employees. For more information on what items are considered hazardous and how to properly dispose of those items, please visit the Household Hazardous Waste page.
