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

Officials said the potential for any trace amounts of MMA to be found in the stormwater was low but would be monitored. — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026

Those nutrients typically enter lakes through stormwater runoff. — Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 24 June 2026

To address stormwater management, Arshami said creating a chain of lakes could create a different type of neighborhood. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2026

The closures will allow contract crews to complete concrete and asphalt work, stormwater improvements and to install permanent pavement markings and markers. — Dj Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 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