(A) Abbreviations.
“BMP.” Best management practice.
“COE.” United States Army Corps of Engineers.
“CWA.” Clean Water Act.
“EPA.” Environmental Protection Agency.
“IDEM.” Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
“MS4.” Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System NPDES.
“NPDES.” National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
“POTW.” Publicly Owned Treatment Works.
“SWCD.” Soil and Water Conservation District.
“SWPPP.” Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.
(B) Definitions.
“BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES.” Design, construction, and maintenance practices and criteria for stormwater facilities that minimize the impact of stormwater runoff rates and volumes, prevent erosion, and capture pollutants.
“CAPACITY (OF A STORM DRAINAGE FACILITY).” The maximum flow that can be conveyed or stored by a storm drainage facility without causing damage to public or private property.
“CHANNEL.” A portion of a natural or artificial watercourse which periodically or continuously contains moving water, or which forms a connecting link between two bodies of water. It has a defined bed and banks which serve to confine the water.
“COMPLIANCE.” The act of correcting a violation or violations within the time frame specified by the City of Greensburg.
“CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY.” Land disturbing activities, and land disturbing activities associated with the construction of infrastructure and structures. This term does not include routine ditch or road maintenance or minor landscaping projects.
“CONSTRUCTION SITE ACCESS.” A stabilized stone surface at all points of ingress or egress to a project site, for the purpose of capturing and detaining sediment carried by tires of vehicles or other equipment entering or exiting the project site.
“CONSTRUCTION SUPPORT ACTIVITIES.” Include but are not limited to the following: concrete or asphalt batch plants, equipment staging yards, material storage areas, excavated material disposal areas borrow areas such activities must not support multiple, unrelated projects, be a commercial/industrial operation, or continue to operate beyond the completion of the construction activity for the project it supports.
Contiguous. Adjoining or in actual contact with.
“CONTOUR.” An imaginary line on the surface of the earth connecting points of the same elevation.
“CONTRACTOR OR SUBCONTRACTOR.” An individual or company hired by the project site or individual lot owner, their agent, or the individual lot operator to perform services on the project site.
“CONVEYANCE.” Any structural method for transferring stormwater between at least two points. The term includes piping, ditches, swales, curbs, gutters, catch basins, channels, storm drains, and roadways.
“DETENTION.” Managing stormwater runoff by temporary holding and controlled release.
“DETENTION BASIN.” A facility constructed or modified to restrict the flow of stormwater to a prescribed maximum rate, and to detain concurrently the excess waters that accumulate behind the outlet.
“DEVELOPER.” Any person financially responsible for construction activity, or an owner of property who sells or leases, or offers for sale or lease, any lots in a subdivision.
“DEVELOPMENT.”
(a) Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate including but not limited to:
1. Construction, reconstruction, or placement of a building or any addition to a building;
2. Construction of flood control structures such as levees, dikes, dams or channel improvements;
3. Construction or reconstruction of bridges or culverts;
4. Installing a manufactured home on a site, preparing a site for a manufactured home, or installing a recreational vehicle on a site for more than 180 days;
5. Installing utilities, erection of walls, construction of roads, or similar projects;
6. Mining, dredging, filling, grading, excavation, or drilling operations;
7. Storage of materials; or
8. Any other activity that might change the direction, height, or velocity of flood or surface waters.
(b) “DEVELOPMENT” does not include activities such as the maintenance of existing buildings and facilities such as painting, re-roofing, resurfacing roads, or gardening, plowing and similar agricultural practices that do not involve filling, grading, excavation, or the construction of permanent buildings.
“DISCHARGE.” In the context of water quantity provisions, usually the rate of water flow, i.e., a 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. In the context of water quality provisions, the discharge means any addition of liquids or solids to a water body or a flow conveyance facility.
“DISPOSAL.” The discharge, deposit, injection, spilling, leaking, or placing of any solid waste or hazardous waste into or on any land or water so that the solid waste or hazardous waste, or any constituent of the waste, may enter the environment, be emitted into the air, or be discharged into any waters, including ground waters.
“DITCH.” A man-made, open watercourse in or into which excess surface water or groundwater drained from land, stormwater runoff, or floodwaters flow either continuously or intermittently.
“DRAIN.” A buried slotted or perforated pipe or other conduit (subsurface drain) or a ditch (open drain) for carrying off surplus groundwater or surface water.
“DRAINAGE.” The removal of excess surface water or groundwater from land by means of ditches or subsurface drains. Also see “NATURAL DRAINAGE.”
“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.
“DURATION.” The time period of a rainfall event.
“ENVIRONMENT.” The sum total of all the external conditions that may act upon a living organism or community to influence its development or existence.
“EROSION.” The wearing away of the land surface by water, wind, ice, gravity, or other geological agents. The following terms are used to describe different types of water erosion:
“ACCELERATED EROSION.” Erosion much more rapid than normal or geologic erosion, primarily as a result of the activities of man.
“CHANNEL EROSION.” An erosion process whereby the volume and velocity of flow wears away the bed and/or banks of a well-defined channel.
“GULLY EROSION.” An erosion process whereby runoff water accumulates in narrow channels and, over relatively short periods, removes the soil to considerable depths, ranging from one to two feet to as much as 75 to 100 feet.
“RILL EROSION.” An erosion process in which numerous small channels only several inches deep are formed; occurs mainly on recently disturbed and exposed soils (see “RILL”).
“SPLASH EROSION.” The spattering of small soil particles caused by the impact of raindrops on wet soils; the loosened and spattered particles may or may not be subsequently removed by surface runoff.
“SHEET EROSION.” The gradual removal of a fairly uniform layer of soil from the land surface by runoff water.
“EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL.” A practice, or a combination of practices, to minimize sedimentation by first reducing or eliminating erosion at the source and then as necessary, trapping sediment to prevent it from being discharged from or within a project site.
“FILTER STRIP.” Usually a long, relatively narrow area (usually, 20 to 75 feet wide) of undisturbed or planted vegetation used near disturbed or impervious surfaces to filter stormwater pollutants for the protection of watercourses, reservoirs, or adjacent properties.
“FLOOD (OR FLOOD WATERS).” A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from the overflow, the unusual and rapid accumulation, or the runoff of surface waters from any source.
“FLOODPLAIN.” The channel proper and the areas adjoining the channel which have been or hereafter may be covered by the regulatory or 100-year flood. Any normally dry land area that is susceptible to being inundated by water from any natural source. The floodplain includes both the floodway and the floodway fringe districts.
“FLOODWAY.” The channel of a river or stream and those portions of the floodplains adjoining the channel which are reasonably required to efficiently carry and discharge the peak flow of the regulatory flood of any river or stream.
“FLOODWAY FRINGE.” That portion of the flood plain lying outside the floodway, which is inundated by the regulatory flood.
“FLUVIAL EROSION HAZARD (FEH) CORRIDOR.” Fluvial erosion hazard corridors represent the areas along the streams (including the channel and immediate overbanks areas) that are believed to be subject to stream movement or streambank erosion. These corridors have been delineated for most actively migrating and relatively stationary streams in Indiana through an Indiana Silver Jackets initiative.
“FOOTING DRAIN.” A drain pipe installed around the exterior of a basement or any foundation wall to relieve water pressure caused by high groundwater elevation.
“GASOLINE OUTLET.” An operating gasoline or diesel fueling facility whose primary function is the resale of fuels The term applies to facilities that create 5,000 or more square feet of impervious surface, or generate an average daily traffic count of 100 vehicles per 1,000 square feet of land area.
“GRADE.” (1) The inclination or slope of a channel, canal, conduit, etc., or natural ground surface usually expressed m terms of the percentage the vertical rise (or fall) bears to the corresponding horizontal distance. (2) The finished surface of a canal bed, roadbed, top of embankment, or bottom of excavation; any surface prepared to a design elevation for the support of construction, such as paving or the laying of a conduit. (3) To finish the surface of a canal bed, roadbed, top of embankment, or bottom of excavation, or other land area to a smooth, even condition.
“GRADING.” The cutting and filling of the land surface to a desired slope or elevation.
“GROUNDWATER.” Accumulation of underground water, natural or artificial. The term does not include manmade underground storage or conveyance structures.
“HABITAT.” The environment in which the life needs of a plant or animal are supplied.
“HOT SPOT DEVELOPMENT.” Projects involving land uses considered to be high pollutant producers such as vehicle service and maintenance facilities, vehicle salvage yards and recycling facilities, vehicle and equipment cleaning facilities, fleet storage areas for buses, trucks, etc., industrial/commercial or any hazardous waste storage areas or areas that generate such wastes, industrial sites, restaurants and convenience stores, any activity involving chemical mixing or loading/unloading, outdoor liquid container storage, public works storage areas, commercial container nurseries, and some high traffic retail uses characterized by frequent vehicle turnover.
“ILLICIT DISCHARGE.” Any discharge to a conveyance that is not composed entirely of stormwater except naturally occurring floatables, such as leaves or tree limbs. Illicit discharges include polluted flows from direct and indirect connections to the MS4 conveyance, illegal dumping, and contaminated runoff.
“IMPAIRED WATERS.” Waters that do not or are not expected to meet applicable water quality standards, as included on IDEM's CWA Section 303(d) List of Impaired Waters.
“IMPERVIOUS SURFACE.” Surfaces, such as pavement and rooftops, which prevent the infiltration of stormwater into the soil.
“INDIVIDUAL BUILDING LOT.” A single parcel of land within a multi-parcel development.
“INDIVIDUAL LOT OPERATOR.” A contractor or subcontractor working on an individual lot.
“INDIVIDUAL LOT OWNER.” A person who has financial control of construction activities for an individual lot.
“INFILTRATION.” Passage or movement of water into the soil. Infiltration practices include any structural BMP designed to facilitate the percolation of runoff through the soil to groundwater. Examples include infiltration basins or trenches, dry wells, and porous pavement.
“LAND SURVEYOR.” A person licensed under the laws of the State of Indiana to practice land surveying.
“LARGER COMMON PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT OR SALE.” A plan, undertaken by a single project site owner or a group of project site owners acting in concert, to offer lots for sale or lease; where such land is contiguous, or is known, designated, purchased or advertised as a common unit or by a common name, such land shall be presumed as being offer for sale or lease as part of a larger common plan. The term also includes phased or other construction activity by a single entity for its own use.
“MUNICIPAL SEPARATE STORM SEWERS.” An MS4 meets all the following criteria: (1) is a conveyance or system of conveyance owned by the state, county, city, town, or other public entity; (2) discharges to waters of the U.S.; (3) is designed or used for collecting or conveying stormwater; (4) is not a combined sewer; and, (5) is not part of a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW).
“NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM.” 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.
“NATURAL DRAINAGE.” The flow patterns of stormwater runoff over the land in its pre-development state.
“NUTRIENT(S).” (1) A substance necessary for the growth and reproduction of organisms. (2) In water, those substances (chiefly nitrates and phosphates) that promote growth of algae and bacteria.
“OFFENSE.” Both a violation and a failure of compliance on a particular project. If there are multiple violations or multiple failures of compliance on the same project, each shall be considered a separate offense.
“OPEN DRAIN.” A natural watercourse or constructed open channel that conveys drainage water.
“OUTFALL.” The point, location, or structure where a pipe or open drain discharges to a receiving body of water.
“OUTLET.” The point of water disposal from a stream, river, lake, tidewater, or artificial drain.
“PERCOLATION.” The movement of water through soil.
“PERVIOUS.” Allowing movement of water.
“POINT SOURCE.” Any discernible, confined, and discrete conveyance including but not limited to any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, or container from which pollutants are or maybe discharged (P.L. 92-500, Section 502[14]).
“POROUS PAVEMENT.” A type of infiltration practice to improve the quality and reduce the quantity of stormwater runoff via the use of manmade, pervious pavement which allows runoff to percolate through the pavement and into underlying soils.
“PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER.” A person licensed under the laws of the State of Indiana to practice professional engineering.
“PROJECT SITE.” The entire area on which construction activity is to be performed.
“PROJECT SITE OWNER.” The person required to submit a stormwater permit application and required to comply with the terms of this chapter, including a developer or a person who has financial and operational control of construction activities, and project plans and specifications, including the ability to make modifications to those plans and specifications.
“RECEIVING STREAM, RECEIVING CHANNEL, OR RECEIVING WATER.” The body of water into which runoff or effluent is discharged. The term does not include private drams, unnamed conveyances, retention and detention basins, or constructed wetlands used as treatment.
“RECHARGE.” Replenishment of groundwater reservoirs by infiltration and transmission from the outcrop of an aquifer or from permeable soils.
“REDEVELOPMENT.” Development occurring on a previously developed site.
“REFUELING AREA.” An operating gasoline or diesel fueling area whose primary function is to provide fuel to equipment or vehicles.
“REGIONAL POND.” A detention/retention basin sized to detain/retain the runoff from the entire watershed on-site and off-site, tributary to the pond's outlet.
“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. The “REGULATORY FLOOD” is also known as the “BASE FLOOD.”
“RELEASE RATE.” The amount of stormwater release from a stormwater control facility per unit of time.
“RESERVOIR.” A natural or artificially created pond, lake or other space used for storage, regulation or control of water. May be either permanent or temporary. The term is also used in the hydrologic modeling of storage facilities.
“RETENTION.” The storage of stormwater to prevent it from leaving the development site. May be temporary or permanent.
“RETENTION BASIN.” A type of storage practice, that has no positive outlet, used to retain stormwater runoff for an indefinite amount of time. Runoff from this type of basin is removed only by infiltration through a porous bottom or by evaporation.
“RIPARIAN HABITAT.” A land area adjacent to a waterbody that supports animal and plant life associated with that waterbody.
“RUNOFF.” That portion of precipitation that flows from a drainage area on the land surface, in open channels, or in stormwater conveyance systems.
“SEDIMENT.” Solid material (both mineral and organic) that is in suspension, is being transported, or has been moved from its site of origin by air, water, gravity, or ice and has come to rest on the earth's surface.
“SEDIMENTATION.” The process that deposits soils, debris and other unconsolidated materials either on the ground surfaces or in bodies of water or watercourses.
“SITE.” The entire area included in the legal description of the land on which land disturbing activity is to be performed.
“SLOPE.” Degree of deviation of a surface from the horizontal, measured as a numerical ratio or percent. Expressed as a ratio, the first number is commonly the horizontal distance (run) and the second is the vertical distance (rise)--e.g., 2:1. However, the preferred method for designation of slopes is to clearly identify the horizontal (H) and vertical (V) components (length (L) and Width (W) components for horizontal angles). Also note that according to international standards (Metric), the slopes are presented as the vertical or width component shown on the numerator-e.g., 1V:2H. Slope expressions in this chapter follow the common presentation of slopes--e.g., 2:1 with the metric presentation shown in parentheses--e.g., (1V:2H). Slopes given in percent are always expressed as (100*V/H)--e.g., 2:1 (2V:2H) slope is a 50% slope.
“SOIL.” The unconsolidated mineral and organic material on the immediate surface of the earth that serves as a natural medium for the growth of land plants.
“SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT.” A public organization created under state law as a special-purpose district to develop and carry out a program of soil, water, and related resource conservation use and development within its boundaries. A subdivision of state government with a local governing body established under IC 14-32.
“SOLID WASTE.” Any garbage, refuse, debris, or other discarded material.
“SPILL.” The unexpected, unintended, abnormal, or unapproved dumping, leakage, drainage, seepage, discharge, or other loss of petroleum, hazardous substances, extremely hazardous substances, or objectionable substances. The term does not include releases to impervious surfaces when the substance does not migrate off the surface or penetrate the surface and enter the soil.
“STORM SEWER.” A closed conduit for conveying collected stormwater, while excluding sewage and industrial wastes. Also called a storm drain.
“STORMWATER.” Water resulting from rain, melting or melted snow, hail, or sleet.
“STORMWATER DRAINAGE SYSTEM.” All means, natural or man-made, used for conducting stormwater to, through or from a drainage area to any of the following: conduits and appurtenant features, canals, channels, ditches, storage facilities, swales, streams, culverts, streets and pumping stations.
“STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.” A collection of structural and non-structural practices and infrastructure designed to manage stormwater on a site. This system may include but is not limited to erosion control measures, storm drainage infrastructure, detention/retention facilities, and stormwater quality BMPs.
“STORMWATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN.” A plan developed to minimize the impact of stormwater pollutants resulting from construction activities.
“STORMWATER RUNOFF.” The water derived from rains falling within a tributary basin, flowing over the surface of the ground or collected in channels or conduits.
“STORMWATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN.” A comprehensive written document that addresses stormwater runoff quality.
“STORMWATER QUALITY MEASURE.” A practice, or a combination of practices, to control or minimize pollutants associated with stormwater runoff.
“SUBDIVISION, MAJOR.” Any land that is divided or proposed to be divided into four or more lots, whether contiguous or subject to zoning requirements, for the purpose of sale or lease as part of a larger common plan of development or sale.
“SUBDIVISION, MINOR.” Any land that is divided or proposed to be divided into less than four lots, whether contiguous or subject to zoning requirements, for the purpose of sale or lease as part of a larger common plan of development or sale.
“SUBSURFACE DRAIN.” A pervious backfield trench, usually containing stone and perforated pipe, for intercepting groundwater or seepage.
“SURFACE RUNOFF.” Precipitation that flows onto the surfaces of roofs, streets, the ground, etc., and is not absorbed or retained by that surface but collects and runs off.
“SWALE.” An elongated depression in the land surface that is at least seasonally wet, is usually heavily vegetated, and is normally without flowing water. Swales conduct stormwater into primary drainage channels and may provide some groundwater recharge.
“TOPOGRAPHY.” The representation of a portion of the earth's surface showing natural and man-made features of a given locality such as rivers, streams, ditches, lakes, roads, buildings and most importantly, variations in ground elevations for the terrain of the area.
“TRAINED INDIVIDUAL.” An individual who is trained and experienced in the principles of stormwater quality, including erosion and sediment control as may be demonstrated by state registration, professional certification (such as CESSWI and/or CPESC certification), or other documented and applicable experience or coursework as deemed sufficient by the City of Greensburg that enable the individual to make judgments regarding stormwater control or treatment and monitoring.
“URBANIZATION.” The development, change or improvement of any parcel of land consisting of one or more lots for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, recreational or public utility purposes.
“VIOLATION.” Any action or inaction which violates the provisions of this chapter or the technical standards, the requirements of an approved stormwater management design plan or permit, and/or the requirements of a recorded stormwater maintenance agreement may be subject to the enforcement actions outlined in §§ 52.110
through 52.113
. Any such action or inaction is deemed to be a public nuisance and may be abated by injunctive or other equitable relief in addition to, and separate from, the imposition of any of the enforcement actions described in §§ 52.110
through 52.113
.
“WATER QUALITY.” A term used to describe the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water, usually in respect to its suitability for a particular purpose.
“WATER RESOURCES.” The supply of groundwater and surface water in a given area.
“WATERBODY.” Any accumulation of water, surface, or underground, natural or artificial, excluding water features designed and designated as water pollution control facilities.
“WATERCOURSE.” Any river, stream, creek, brook, branch, natural or man-made drainageway in or into which stormwater runoff or floodwaters flow either continuously or intermittently.
“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.
“WETLANDS.” Areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.
(Ord. 2023-15 passed 9-12-23)