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

As recently as 2024 only one stormwater treatment area met the standard, according to the National Academies. —Amy Green, Miami Herald, 9 Jan. 2026

The city requires new subdivisions to handle stormwater on-site. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

Others said their opposition is based on potential danger to the environment, particularly through stormwater runoff. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 2 Jan. 2026

Projects can typically offset 10% to 25% of their water with alternative sources, but 50% or more is achievable if stormwater or wastewater is collected for reuse, the report noted. —Chaya Tong, Austin American Statesman, 1 Jan. 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