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

Runoff from nearby drainage systems carries stormwater and shallow groundwater across the beach, posing health risks to visitors, the report said. —Adrian Rodriguez, Mercury News, 29 Sep. 2025

Preliminary plans show three buildings, a power station, and stormwater ponds for the site. —Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 26 Sep. 2025

Dearborn officials detailed the city's flood prevention and stormwater management programs. —Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 26 Sep. 2025

After a few delays including stormwater infrastructure upgrades, the pandemic and securing financing, the project will be underway in 2026 and residents should be moving in by 2028. —Charlotte Observer, 25 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