CHAPTER III-2

MODEL STORMWATER MANAGEMENT
ORDINANCE & TECHNICAL STANDARDS

INTRODUCTION

Each county in the Maumee River Basin has a Storm Drainage, Erosion, and Sediment Control Ordinance in place to regulate the control of stormwater runoff and to protect, conserve and promote the orderly development of the land and water resources.  However, these ordinances may not be consistent or may need updating to be more effective and to address water quality.

In 1999, Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program was published in the Federal Register.  This program requires permit coverage for stormwater discharges from small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) and for small construction activity that results in the disturbance of land with an area greater than or one acre. Within the Maumee River Basin, currently 7 communities are required to meet the Phase II requirements.  These include: Allen County, City of Auburn, City of Decatur, City of Fort Wayne, City of New Haven, Town of Huntertown, and Town of Leo Cedarville.   Several other smaller counties and communities will likely be added in the next few years as the program expands.  In addition to the requirements of the NPDES Phase II program, those communities participating in the Community Rating System (CRS), currently including the City of Fort Wayne, Allen County, and City of Decatur could be eligible for a maximum of 670 credit points through the CRS as a result of their stormwater management activities.

The approach of MRBC was to prepare a Model Stormwater Management Ordinance & Stormwater Technical Standards that meets the Phase II NPDES program requirements, CRS program requirements, and effectively address water quality and quantity issues throughout the entire Maumee River Basin.

1995 MASTER PLAN REVISITED

The 1995 MRBC Master Plan included a model ordinance for storm drainage and erosion control.  The model ordinance recommended drainage and detention criteria and requirements to:

  • Prevent increases in downstream flooding due to urbanization;
  • Prevent increases in the magnitude and frequency of small flood events which contribute to increased bank erosion;
  • Prevent increases in drainage-related damages due to inadequate design of local drainage systems;
  • Prevent the loss of beneficial stream uses due to degraded stormwater quality; and
  • Prevent the loss of beneficial stream uses due to adverse hydrologic and hydraulic impacts of urbanization.

The model ordinance was designed to be an independent, self-sufficient ordinance with concepts and approaches that provided a more comprehensive and effective approach to stormwater management.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Since 1995, several communities in the basin have adopted either the 1995 MRBC Model Ordinance or have adopted stormwater ordinances that have incorporated many aspects of the 1995 MRBC Model Ordinance, including DeKalb County, Noble County and Steuben County.

2008 MASTER PLAN ENHANCEMENTS

Starting in 2003 and in response to the NPDES Phase II Storm Water Program regulations, comprehensive Stormwater Management Ordinances and Technical standards were developed by CBBEL, initially for the regulated communities.  These comprehensive ordinance and standards expanded and further refined the provisions of the 1995 model ordinance based on experience gained by various communities with implementing those ordinances.  Two of the more major additions included  requirements and detailed technical standards aimed at managing the quality of post-construction runoff.   Another addition was to address illicit discharges and illegal dumping into the community’s water bodies.  The formatting of the document was also revised significantly and divided into two documents: a Stormwater Management Ordinance that laid out what is required and a Stormwater Technical Standards Manual that described in detail how the ordinance requirements were expected to be accomplished.  Several regulated and unregulated communities within Indiana, including Allen County, have already adopted the MRBC Model Stormwater Management Ordinance and Stormwater Technical Standards Manual. Copies of these documents are also provided in Appendix B.

The CRS program awards a maximum of 670 credit points for stormwater management activities.  These include: stormwater management regulations, stormwater management master plan, erosion and sediment control regulations, and water quality regulations.  Three communities (City of Fort Wayne, City of Decatur, and Allen County) participate in the CRS program and will benefit from this model ordinance.

RECOMMENDATIONS

MRBC should:

  1. Encourage all communities within the Maumee River Basin to adopt the MRBC Model Stormwater Management Ordinance and Stormwater Technical Standards Manual.  Initial emphasis should be given to DeKalb County, Adams County, Noble County, Steuben County, and Wells County as the communities within a County most often would follow the County’s lead in stormwater matters.

  2. Make an editable version of these Model Ordinance and Standards documents available to each interested community for them to customize these documents to match their needs.

  3. Continue to provide technical and financial assistance to communities that adopt model language.

  4. Conduct seminars to familiarize local interest groups with the Model Stormwater Technical Standards Manual; ½-day seminars for developers, homebuilders and realtors; full-day seminars for architects, engineers and surveyors.

 

MRBC Master Plan - Model Stormwater Management Ordinance & Technical Standards