Our community’s success at maintaining a healthy environment is based on a shared responsibility between our Town government and all who live and work in our community.

The Stormwater Division administers programs to address water quality, runoff reduction, Water Supply Watershed protections, floodplain management, stormwater pollution, and sediment and erosion control during construction. Our stormwater education and environmental protection initiatives, including the urban transition buffer rules and green stormwater infrastructure, encourage environmentally sound development. 

In 2018, Cary implemented an adaptive approach to stormwater management to better monitor and mitigate stormwater and flood impacts in Cary.

Cary is also committed to helping our citizens address drainage on privately-owned property by providing technical guidance for drainage improvements and green stormwater techniques.

Select the icons below to explore public drainage improvement projects, citizen guidance, and our regulatory programs. You can also learn more about Cary's Stormwater Master Plan, which explores the history and assesses the current condition of Cary’s Stormwater Management Program and proposes a framework for the next 10 to 20 years.

Many aspects of Cary’s stormwater programs are based on Federal and State requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NC DWQ), through legislation and regulations, require the Town to monitor, document, and regulate activities that affect stormwater runoff, flooding, and pollution. These requirements are mostly expressed in the Town’s LDO and are related to development. 

You can read the Town's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit and the Swift Creek Land Management Plan for further information.