Model Stormwater Ordinance

• The Model Stormwater Management Ordinance is written to be flexible.  It gives municipalities the ability to tailor it to your own needs and regulates Land Development, to avoid an unnecessary burden on municipalities or your residents/tax-payers.

• The Model Ordinance helps all of us better manage stormwater. It promotes flexibility in design and implementation of land development, encourages stormwater management problem solving by allowing equivalent projects, considers watershed planning across municipal boundaries, meets the requirements of PA Act 167 and PA DEP MS4 permits, and enables WCD to provide better assistance to communities; and benefits the environment and tourism.

• It encourages partnerships to solve problems and ease the burden. The Model Ordinance puts all municipalities on the same ‘field’ with the same ‘playbook’; it allows projects which span adjoining municipalities to use the same standards and protects residents from development in adjacent municipalities.

Remember, a DRAFT copy of your ordinance should be sent to WCD for review and comment on consistency.  As per Act 167, the final municipal stormwater management ordinance should be consistent with the model ordinance and the IWRP.

Then follow your municipal approval/adoption process for the final stormwater management ordinance.  As per Act 167, the ordinance should be adopted by your municipality by December 31, 2020.

The Westmoreland Conservation District can help answer your questions:

1. How does the Model Stormwater Management Ordinance compare to any of your existing ordinances that govern earth disturbance, construction, and land development to property within your municipality? 
   
   
2. What adjustments or revisions can you make to the Model Ordinance to coordinate with other municipal ordinances and the standard operating procedures of your municipality? OR should you update your current stormwater ordinance to be consistent with the model?