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

The study did not include bills for wastewater or stormwater, which are managed by separate utilities. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Losing power was especially painful for Sunshine Bay because the underground parking garage relies on a hardwired stormwater pump to keep the garage dry when the streets start to flood. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

In Chicago, a wastewater treatment and stormwater management utility urged residents to conserve water use to prevent flooding and stormwater backup. — Fabiola Sanchez, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026

That new plan envisions bike paths, public transportation, nearly 200 acres of developable land, and four canals that will act as stormwater infrastructure. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Sep. 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