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

Our capital improvement plan guides us with the infrastructure for traffic improvements, drainage/stormwater maintenance and other facilities to be maintained within the town. — Susan Starkey, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

My broader affordability plan also calls for rolling back recent stormwater fee increases by using Penny Sales Tax funds for eligible stormwater projects and reducing the amount residents pay for trash collection. — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026

But the majority of the country’s stormwater infrastructure was not built for heavier bouts of rain brought by a warming climate — and now experts are warning the ongoing super El Niño will further expose those risks across the nation. — Erin Douglas, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026

Stormwater monitoring will also be required, including good housekeeping, spill prevention and cleanup, preventing raw materials from contacting rain and managing stormwater to not cause erosion or pollution, according to permit documents. — Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 8 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