South Bend, IN Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Much of South Bend's older sewer network carries sewage and stormwater in the same pipes, so heavy rain historically forced combined sewer overflows (CSOs) into the St. Joseph River. Under a 2012 consent decree with the U.S. EPA and Indiana, amended in 2021, the city built a Smart Sewer system that has cut CSO volume by more than 80 percent. The MS4 stormwater program runs through City Code Chapter 17: Article 11 bars illicit discharges to storm drains, Article 12 requires a site development permit and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan for construction, and Article 13 mandates post-construction controls like rain gardens, bioswales, and detention. Disturbing one acre or more also triggers the IDEM Construction Stormwater General Permit.