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 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

Rainfall — as little as a tenth of an inch, according to the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, or ALCOSAN — can cause an overflow of stormwater and raw sewage to flow into the rivers. — Finch Walker, USA Today, 5 July 2026

The structure is a massive concrete cylinder, 50 meters wide and 30 meters deep, held up by pillars sunk deep into the ground, capable of holding 50,000 cubic meters of stormwater — roughly the volume of 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. — Camille Knight, CNN Money, 4 July 2026

Furthermore, capturing stormwater runoff helps protect the environment by preventing soil erosion and keeping pollutants out of local waterways. — Sj McShane, Martha Stewart, 3 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