The city stormwater program staff will review and assign a stormwater credit in 5% increments with a maximum of 50% credit to any one property.
(A) Water quantity credit (maximum credit: 40%). This credit has been retained from the SD1 credits program. Water quantity credits are available for properties that address hydromodification of receiving watercourses by controlling the rate at which post-development stormwater flow is discharged from the site. Credits are available for discharging post-construction stormwater flow at a rate equal to or less than the critical flow (Qcritical) of the receiving watercourse. Unless specific data is available for the receiving watercourse, Qcritical shall be 0.4 cubic feet per second (cfs) per acre for up to a two-year, 24-hour storm event using SCS Type II rainfall distribution.
(B) Water quality credits (maximum credit: see list below).
(1) The water quality credits are offered to properties that perform an activity or activities that reduce the burden on the water quality system. This will include natural as well as manmade water quality system structures that are properly maintained and are operating for the purposes of water quality and water quantity benefits, and to reduce the burden on the city-maintained storm system. The basis for this credit is:
(a) The City of Cold Spring, Official Subdivision Regulations.
(b) Northern Kentucky Regional Storm Water Management Program Rules and Regulations.
(c) Storm Water Best Management Practices Manual - Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky.
(d) Stormwater Management Handbook - Implementing Green Infrastructure in Northern Kentucky Communities.
(2) Water quality credits are available for properties that implement post-construction facilities, best management practices (BMP), green management practices (GMP) or low impact development (LID). The city is suggesting ten management practices from the Storm Water Best Management Practices Manual - Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky that may be desirable for the city. The ten practices are listed below and the best management practices manual has the selection, design, construction, and maintenance criteria and standards to implement these practices. There are other practices contained in the BMP manual that may be used, however, the practices listed below should be considered first.
Management practice
| Available credit |
Management practice
| Available credit |
Biofiltration swale | Up to 10% |
Bioretention/rain garden | Up to 20% |
Extended detention basin (dry pond) | Up to 30% |
Gravity separator | Up to 30% |
Permeable pavement | Up to 20% |
Planter box | Up to 20% |
Retention basin/wet pond | Up to 40% |
Street trees | Up to 10% |
Subsurface vaults | Up to 30% |
Vegetated filter strip | Up to 10% |
(3) The city will consider other management practices (BMPs, GMPs, LID), however; they must be approved by the City Stormwater Department.
(4) The city core management practices design, construction and maintenance criteria, as well as credit examples, are available in the Storm Water Best Management Practices Manual - Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky that can be obtained on the city stormwater web site.
(C) Gravel credit (maximum credit: 10%). The city stormwater district considers all compacted gravel areas (drives, storage areas, and the like) as impervious areas, and includes these surfaces in calculating the storm water fee. The city acknowledges that gravel surfaces do allow for the infiltration of stormwater flow in a slightly different manner than impervious surfaces. Therefore, an allowance for gravel surfaces on a case-by-case basis for these surfaces will be offered. It is up to the non-residential property owner of these properties to submit a credit application in order to receive credit for gravel surfaces. The credit shall only apply to the gravel area of the property and not all impervious areas of the site. The gravel credit is subject to an on-site review to be performed by the city to make the final determination prior to any credit approval.
(D) Education credits (maximum credit: 50%).
(1) Education credits are available for educational institutions such as public schools, private schools, colleges and universities. Organizations must develop and annually implement a city water quality educational program that addresses specific environmental issues at the expense of the applicant. The maximum credit percentage for education is 50%.
(2) Education credits are provided to public and private schools (K through 12) for the purpose of providing stormwater (flooding, water quality, and watershed management) type education programs to students. To obtain this credit, public and private schools are required to teach a water quality curriculum supplied by the Kentucky Department of Transportation (KDOT).
(3) Stormwater education credits of 50% of the stormwater bill can be granted for approved programs providing public awareness and education on stormwater issues as follows:
(a) This credit is available to all schools as defined in the zoning code, public or private, that offer a compulsory education curriculum for grades K through 12 or part thereof.
(b) Where a site is jointly used by a school and another use (e.g. church), the stormwater fee will be prorated based on usage and the credit will be issued to the school portion of the fee only.
(c) Water quality educational curriculum for public/private schools shall utilize a water curriculum in grade levels to be jointly agreed upon by the schools and the city.
(d) Schools will conduct at least one school-wide awareness activity to be chosen from a water festival day, poster contest, or litter collection day. Additional opportunities include a stenciling project, brochure development, public service announcements, videos, or other projects as approved by city staff.
(e) In order to receive educational credits, the school shall submit an application and provide supporting documentation. The application will be due by July 1 of the preceding year the credit is to be given. The plan shall be reviewed and approved by the city prior to implementation of the curriculum. Once approved, the credit shall be applied to the appropriate stormwater bill.
(f) Upon completion of the educational curriculum and no later than the end of the school year, the school shall submit an annual report indicating compliance with the approved plan. The annual report shall be broken down by the activity type and indicate the number of participants. If the school did not substantially comply with the plan, the report will include an explanation of the failure and any needed corrective action. Additional reporting requirements may be required as part of the plan approval and shall be included in the annual report.
(g) The city will review the annual report. If upon review, the school did not substantially comply with the approved plan, the city may:
1. Require additional activities as a corrective action;
2. Reduce the education credit to a level comparable to compliance; or
3. Refuse approval of any new education plan.
(E) Water quality LEED credits (maximum credit: 50%).
(1) Developments and parcel owners within the city that have been awarded the LEED® Certified (based on the U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. LEED® Certified Development Rules and Regulations) that have earned credits from the LEED certification process may also qualify for a credit reduction regarding their stormwater charge if the following criteria are met (submission of the LEED certification notice to validate the application and measure the amount of stormwater control is required to be submitted in conjunction with this stormwater credit application). Please refer to the LEED website for more information at http://www.usqbc.org/
(a) The sustainable sites category of stormwater design quantity control contained in the LEED certification process may be eligible for a 25% reduction in the stormwater charge; and/or
(b) Stormwater design quality control rate and quantity reduction contained in the LEED certification process may be eligible for up to a 50% reduction in the stormwater charge (with the assumption that a 50% maximum credit is allowed per property as described above).
(2) LEED sustainable sites.
(a) Choosing a building's site and managing that site during construction are important considerations for a project's sustainability. The sustainable sites category discourages development on previously undeveloped land, minimizes a building's impact on ecosystems and waterways, encourages regionally appropriate landscaping, rewards smart transportation choices, controls stormwater runoff, and reduces erosion, light pollution, heat island effect and construction-related pollution.
(b) A 25% reduction in the stormwater fee may be achieved if the site controls stormwater runoff and erosion is reduced based on the LEED certification program.
(3) LEED stormwater management: rate and quantity reduction.
(a) Have a stormwater management plan in place over the performance period that is designed to mitigate runoff from the site. Mitigated stormwater is the volume of precipitation falling on the site that does not become runoff by leaving the site via means of uncontrolled surface streams, rivers, drains, or sewers. This mitigation can be accomplished through a variety of measures including perviousness of site, stormwater management practices (structural and non-structural), capture of rainwater for reuse or other measures.
1. Have measures in place on the site that mitigates at least 25% of the annual stormwater falling on the site.
2. Have measures in place on the site that mitigates at least 50% of the annual stormwater falling on the site.
3. A 25% reduction in the stormwater fee may be achieved only if division 1 above meets the LEED certification process and then an additional 25% for a total of 50% reduction can be achieved if division 2 above also meets the LEED rate and quantity reduction certification process.
(b) If there are questions regarding the U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. LEED® certification process, please visit the LEED website at: http://www.usgbc.org/
(Ord. 14-1003, passed 5-12-14)