Mission Statement
The City of Wilmington Stormwater Services maintains and improves the public drainage system for protection of our community and the environment.

Stormwater Services Brochure

When It Rains - It Drains 
Stormwater runoff is water from rain or irrigation that flows over land and into local creeks, streams and waterways. According to the US. Environmental Protection Agency, stormwater runoff is the #1 source of surface water pollution.

Impervious (hard) surfaces, such as driveways, streets, parking lots and rooftops, prevent stormwater runoff from naturally soaking into the ground. Runoff carries pollutants such as pet waste, auto fluids, fertilizers, pesticides, yard debris and litter through the drainage system and directly into our waterways. Stormwater runoff does not go to a treatment plant!

In Wilmington, runoff flows through a complex, interconnected system of pipes, ditches, creeks and other natural and man-made features. In Wilmington, the storm drainage system consists of approximately:

• 9,000 catch basins and manholes
• 220 miles of pipe
• 200 miles of open drainage (ditches, creeks, and channels)
• 145 acres of retention ponds including Randall Pond and Silver Stream Pond
• 12 miles of culverts under roads
• Greenfield Lake
• Love Grove Tidegates
• Stormwater BMPs such as Kerr Avenue Wetland, Park Avenue Bioretention Area, Bethel Road Wetlands, etc.

Comprehensive management allows Stormwater Services to budget and set stormwater utility fees based on the actual cost of providing services, performing preventative maintenance and funding much-needed drainage improvement projects.