A bioretention cell is a specially designed and landscaped area built with plants and engineered soils that treat and manage stormwater. When the water enters the bioretention cell, the engineered soil helps filter pollutants, such as chemicals and oils, and the plants absorb excess nutrients. Bioretention cells also temporarily hold stormwater after a rainstorm and slowly release it to help prevent erosion of nearby soils and streambanks.

A dry pond is a basin or impoundment that temporarily holds water and slowly releases it through an outlet device. Dry ponds are designed to hold water for several days after a rain event, but are usually dry with grass or other vegetation throughout the area.

In addition to the SCMs described above, there are a number of emerging technologies that provide stormwater treatment and detention with a minimal aboveground footprint. Some examples are Filterra, StormFilter, BayFilter, and SilvaCell devices. As new devices are developed and tested, they can be approved by NCDEQ.

A sand filter is usually an underground series of concrete chambers with a layer of sand at the bottom. Sand filters provide water quality treatment by trapping pollutants in the sand media as the water trickles through. However, they also are used for water quantity treatment as they temporarily detain water before it drains through the sand. Usually, you can only see a sand filter through its access chamber via a manhole at the ground's surface.

Stormwater wetlands are specially designed water features built with water-loving plants that treat and manage the flow of stormwater. The plants and soil absorb excess nutrients and also create habitat for pollinators and other animals. Wetlands are great at storing carbon, slowing down water, and removing pollutants.

Underground Detention devices temporarily detain stormwater in large chambers, pipes or concrete structures and release them slowly to an outlet or the storm drain network. They usually do not provide water quality treatment, and are often paired with sand filters or proprietary devices to provide pollutant removal. Like sand filters, they are typically accessed through a manhole from the street level.

Wet ponds are designed basins, or impoundments, that are usually full of water. Wet ponds are designed to have a normal elevation as well as to temporarily store additional stormwater runoff during rain events. Wet ponds provide habitat for pollinators and other animals, provide water quality treatment as sediment settles to the bottom, and reduces stormwater peak volume runoff during storm events.

Permeable pavement refers to different types of engineered, porous surfaces that allow water to infiltrate through the surface to the soils beneath or to collection pipes. The term can refer to pervious concrete, porous asphalt, permeable interlocking concrete pavers, concrete grid pavers, or plastic turf reinforcing grid. Permeable pavement may have underlying pipes that collect the stormwater and discharge at a slower rate, or it may simply allow water to infiltrate to the underlying soils. Permeable pavement requires monitoring and maintenance to ensure the surfaces continue to allow water to infiltrate.