For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
AUTHORIZED ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. Employees or designees of the city addressing the enforcement of this chapter.
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs). Schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, general good housekeeping practices, pollution prevention and educational practices, maintenance procedures and other management practices to prevent or reduce the discharge of pollutants directly or indirectly to stormwater, receiving waters, or stormwater conveyance systems. BMPs also include treatment practices, operating procedures and practices to control site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or water disposal, or drainage from raw materials storage.
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS AND SAFETY. The city's Board of Public Works and Safety (CBPWS).
CLEAN WATER ACT. The federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 USC 1251 et seq.), and any subsequent amendments thereto.
CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY. Activities subject to NPDES construction permits. These include construction projects resulting in land disturbance of one acre or more. Such activities include, but are not limited to, clearing and grubbing, grading, excavating and demolition.
DETENTION. Managing stormwater runoff by temporary holding and controlled release.
DISCHARGE. Usually the rate of water flow. The volume of fluid passing a point per unit time commonly expressed as cubic feet per second, cubic meters per second, gallons per minute or millions of gallons per day.
DRAINAGE AREA. The area draining into a stream at a given point. It may be of different sizes for surface runoff, subsurface flow and base flow, but generally the surface runoff area is considered as the drainage area.
DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT. An activity within or adjacent to a natural stream or a human-made drain primarily intended to improve the flow capacity, drainage, erosion and sedimentation control, or stability of the drainage way.
EASEMENT. A right of use over designated portions of the property of another for a clearly specified purpose.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. Any material, including any substance, waste or combination thereof, which because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics may cause, or significantly contribute to, a substantial present or potential hazard to human health, safety, property or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of or otherwise managed.
NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (NPDES). A permit developed by the U.S. EPA through the Clean Water Act. In Indiana, the permitting process has been delegated to IDEM. This permit covers aspects of municipal stormwater quality.
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER. A person licensed under the laws of the State of Indiana to practice professional engineering.
PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR. A person licensed under the laws of the State of Indiana to practice land surveying.
REGULATORY FLOOD. The discharge or elevation associated with the 100-year flood as calculated by a method and procedure which is acceptable to and approved by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
REGULATORY FLOODWAY. The channel of a river or stream and those portions of the floodplain adjoining the channel which are reasonably required to carry and discharge the peak flow of the regulatory flood of any river or stream.
RUNOFF. The portion of precipitation that flows from a drainage area on the land surface, in open channels or in stormwater conveyance systems.
SINKHOLES. Any closed depression in a limestone region formed by the removal of water, surficial soil, rock or other material, that is connected to a cavern or underground passage. The sinkhole drainage area shall include any area that contributes surface water directly to the SINKHOLE.
STORM SEWER. A sewer that carries stormwater, surface drainage, street wash and other wash waters but excludes sewage and industrial wastes. Also called a storm drain.
STORMWATER. Any surface flow, runoff and drainage consisting entirely of water from any form of natural precipitation and resulting from such precipitation.
WATERSHED. The region drained by or contributing water to a specific point that could be along a stream, lake or other stormwater facility. Watersheds are often broken down into subareas for the purpose of hydrologic modeling.
ZONING ORDINANCE. The city's Zoning Ordinance or any replacement zoning ordinance and its amendments.
(Ord. 2005-OR-06, passed 4-4-2005; Ord. 2024-OR-08, passed 7-22-2024)