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

Fully separating those lines, a project that remains in the works, will allow the government to increase the capacity of its stormwater lines, Miles said. —Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 21 May 2025

Many people who live near the affected trees brought up not only their safety concerns after the incident, but also the environmental loss of important shade, stormwater management and habitat. —Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025

Texas has guidelines as to what makes it in the trash because of stormwater runoff pollutants. —Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2025

Since her election in 2018, Torres has worked to expand stormwater infrastructure. —Laura Mallonee, Wired News, 12 Apr. 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