According to the MPCA's Guidance Manual For Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems:
Federal regulations define an illicit discharge as "...any discharge to a MS4 that is not composed entirely of storm water..." with some exceptions. These exceptions include discharges from NPDES-permitted industrial sources and fire-fighting activities. Illicit discharges are considered "illicit" because MS4s are not designed to accept, process, or discharge such non-storm water wastes. It is important to note that illicit does not mean illegal.
Illicit discharges enter the system through either direct connections (i.e. wastewater piping either mistakenly or deliberately connected to the storm drains) or indirect connections (i.e. infiltration into the MS4 from cracked sanitary systems, spills collected by drain outlets, or paint or used oil dumped directly into a drain). The result is untreated discharges that contribute high levels of pollutants including heavy metals, toxics, oil and grease, solvents, nutrients, viruses, and bacteria to receiving waterbodies. Pollutant levels from these illicit discharges have been shown in EPA studies to be high enough to significantly degrade receiving water quality and threaten aquatic, wildlife, and human health.
University of Minnesota Campuses