Water Quality Protection and Flood Relief Opportunities

The Town has taken considerable measures to protect water quality and provide relief for flooding. These measures include innovative ordinances to protect stream buffers and control runoff by development. They include policies to evaluate citizen requests to reduce flooding and improve drainage. The Town has completed numerous projects to manage stormwater more effectively and improve streams. The Town completed a Stormwater Master Plan in 2013 and a Town Center Area Floodplain Study in 2006. The Town’s stormwater program operates under an NPDES Stormwater permit issued by the state of North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

Following are links to information on the Town’s website that describe these initiatives in more detail.

Water Quality Protection Ordinances

• 100’ stream buffers –  LDO 7.2.14
• Grading Permits and Erosion Control
• Watershed Protection Overlay
• Rule specifying that no greater runoff can be generated by the development of a site 

Stormwater Improvement Policy

• Policy Statement 35 

Stormwater Projects

• Projects done under Policy 35, including home purchases and using street funding  (see attachment)
• Higgins Greenway and Stream Restoration (see attachment)

Stormwater Master Plan (with page references)

Stormwater Master Plan

   Pages of Interest

• 2.1-2.8:  Stormwater Program History
• 2.9-2.16: Summary of Federal & State Stormwater Regulation
• 2.18*: Table 2-4 Summary of Town LDO related to Stormwater
• 2.22: Table 2-5 Summary of Town Stormwater Requirements Exceeding State/Federal
• 3:  Flooding Chapter

Floodplains Quick Links

NPDES Phase II Stormwater Permit