stormwater

noun

: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There are hundreds of points in the sewer network where heavy rain pushes a mixture of stormwater and raw sewage directly into the water. Daniel Bain, The Conversation, 22 June 2026 The deaths occurred after a storm caused major stormwater runoff from Atlanta's sewage system into the river. Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 18 June 2026 Officials said the potential for any trace amounts of MMA to be found in the stormwater was low but would be monitored. Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2026 Those nutrients typically enter lakes through stormwater runoff. Jeff Wagner, CBS News, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for stormwater

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stormwater was in 1848

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Cite this Entry

“Stormwater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stormwater. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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