Stormwater

The purpose of the Stormwater Management Bylaw is to manage land development in order to protect, maintain and enhance the public health, safety, environment and general welfare by establishing minimum requirements and procedures to control the adverse impacts of construction site stormwater runoff and postconstruction stormwater discharges. 

Any activity that disturbs 500 square feet or more of land must meet the intent of the bylaw.  Additionally, any activity that disturbs 20,000 square feet or more of land shall require a Stormwater Permit.  Activities include but are not limited to the construction or reconstruction buildings, parking areas, driveways, swimming pools, landscaping, tree clearing and grading.

The bylaw seeks to meet this purpose through the following objectives:

(1) Establish decision making processes surrounding construction site activities that protect the integrity of the watershed and preserve the health of water resources;

(2) Require that construction site activities maintain the post-construction runoff characteristics as equal to or less than the pre-construction runoff characteristics;

(3) Establish minimum construction site and post-construction stormwater management standards and design criteria for the regulation and control of stormwater runoff quantity and quality;

(4) Encourage the use of nonstructural stormwater management practices or "low-impact development" practices, i.e. grass swales, french drains, etc.;

(5) Establish provisions for the long-term responsibility for and maintenance of structural stormwater control facilities and nonstructural stormwater management practices to ensure that they continue to function as designed, are maintained, and pose no threat to public safety;

(6) Establish provisions to ensure there is an adequate funding mechanism, including surety, for the proper review, inspection and long-term maintenance of stormwater facilities implemented as part of this bylaw; and

(7) Establish administrative procedures, fees and fines for violations for the submission, review, approval or disapproval of applications for stormwater management permits, and for the inspection of approved active projects, and long-term follow up.