The Department of Public Works Engineering is responsible for the administration of the Town of Bel Air's Stormwater Management Program. The purpose of the Stormwater Management Program is to improve and protect the health and safety of the residents and natural environment by constructing, maintaining, and monitoring the Town’s stormwater infrastructure, addressing stormwater quality and quantity concerns, meeting federal and state stormwater regulations and educating citizen’s on the importance of stormwater management and how it effects our community.
 
The Town has both a Sediment & Erosion Control ordinance and a Stormwater Management ordinance designed to mitigate the effects of land disturbance associated with on-going construction projects and the run-off caused by the impervious surface area created by completed development projects.  The Town has adopted the 2011 Maryland Standards and Specifications for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control and the 2000 Maryland Stormwater Design Manual w/ revisions.  These documents serve as the official guide for sediment and erosion control and stormwater management principles, methods and practices for development within the Town.
   

Development Planning & Permitting   

  

If you are planning any development or construction activity within the Town, one or more of the following may provide guidance and/or be required for approval:

 

• A flow diagram outlining the steps and duration of the planning and engineering review and approval process.

Sediment & Erosion Control -

• For land disturbance totaling less than 5,000 square feet, no grading permit is required.
• For land disturbance that is greater than 5,000 but less than 30,000 square feet and/or 1,000 cubic yards or less of excavation/fill a Standard Sediment and Erosion Control Plan is required.
• For any land disturbance of more than 30,000 square feet and/or 1,000 cubic yards of excavation/fill a Grading/Sediment & Erosion Control permit is required.

Stormwater Management -

  Standard Stormwater Management Plan (Standard Plan*)

• The project is a single lot residential construction not within a developing subdivision.
• There is no contiguous land undergoing development by the same owner, builder, or developer;
• Total site impervious cover shall not exceed 20% of the lot size; and
• Total land area disturbed during construction shall be less than 30,000 square feet. Land area that is disturbed for septic system construction may be subtracted from the total disturbed area provided it is re-vegetated.

* The Standard Plan shall not be used in areas of special concern (e.g., karst geology, sinkhole activity, surface water supply reservoirs, wellhead protection areas, sensitive stream system, etc.)

Stormwater Management Permit

• Required for projects that do not meet the limitations of a Standard Plan (above); and
• 5,000 square feet or more of land disturbance.