stormwater

noun

storm·​wa·​ter ˈstȯrm-ˌwȯ-tər 

-ˌwä-

: rainwater produced by a storm

a stormwater management system

As stormwater runs over lawns, streets and other man-made surfaces, it picks up pollutants—phosphorous and nitrogen from fertilizers, bacteria from pet waste and road salt, to name a few—and carries them into local streams and lakes.

—Delen Goldberg

This rainfall "of biblical proportions," as the local newspaper described it, swamped the city in waist-high stormwater.

—Christopher Cooper and Robert Block

Examples of stormwater in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The canals will act as stormwater infrastructure for the island while promoting recreational activity, according to that document. — Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Oct. 2026

Many cities rely on gravity to move stormwater, but Sacramento relies heavily on pumps and levees to move stormwater. — Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026

Salatas said the city’s stormwater ordinance requires new developments to not adversely impact neighboring properties by capturing stormwater runoff onsite. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

That is why the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality should not approve a stormwater permit for Richmond International Airport that allows PFAS pollution to continue without enforceable limits. — Dana Adkins, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for stormwater

• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater
• granddaughter
• groundwater
• headwater