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

Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez and city officials, meanwhile, aimed to unveil plans for a $40 million stormwater project at MacArthur Park designed to reduce reliance on potable water by capturing and treating runoff. —Julianna Lozada, Daily News, 23 Apr. 2026

The measure collects about $285 million annually for stormwater projects, its website said. —Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026

Because warming will continue for the coming decades, the 2026 flooding should be considered at the lower end of capacity for stormwater infrastructure and dams. —The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026

The agreement specifies terms related to the costs associated with the construction of the stormwater basin. —Linda Girardi, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 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