"To assist in the protection of beneficial uses of receiving waters by preventing pollutants generated from activities in urban service areas from entering runoff to the maximum extent practicable."

In mid-1996, the Program’s Management Committee developed a Program Mission Statement and Program Goals and Objectives. This process brought about a general consensus among the Co-permittees on the Program’s approach to compliance with water-quality regulations.

The Mission Statement:

• Targets pollutant reduction measures that are needed to help protect beneficial uses
• Focuses on urban pollutant sources (as opposed to nonpoint sources generally)
• Sets a specific benchmark for implementation (as opposed to doing “anything and everything” related to pollutant sources)