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 project might also modify an existing stormwater culvert to boost public access, which now means walking through a parking lot. —David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025

Additionally, there will be an in-ground stormwater sewage system throughout the community to handle runoff. —Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Sep. 2025

The company will also build infrastructure at the site, including a utility substation and stormwater management facilities. —Arkansas Online, 5 Sep. 2025

Silverstein has more than 40 years of experience managing and designing stormwater systems and stormwater management across the country. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2025

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