stormwater

noun

storm·​wa·​ter ˈstȯrm-ˌwȯ-tər How to pronounce stormwater (audio)
-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
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.
Styropek also had to eliminate the unauthorized discharge of plastic pellets from all of the facility’s stormwater drains. — Sarah J. Morath, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026 Xcel had to get the correct permits from local municipalities as well as stormwater permitting, and have an environmental survey done to protect burrowing owls. — Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026 Garwood, a supervisory civil engineer in the stormwater section of Overland Park’s Public Works Department, was conducting the city’s regular inspection of the South Park Lake dam. — Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026 Details of sewage spill into Manatee River The remaining sewage, approximately 9,700 gallons, entered two stormwater retention ponds and then flowed into a mangrove area that flows into the Manatee River, the report said. — Ryan Ballogg, Miami Herald, 30 July 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

Rhymes for stormwater

See All Rhymes for stormwater

Browse Nearby Words

storm warning
stormwater
storm welt
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

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