Unless specifically defined below, words and phrases shall be interpreted so as to give them the meaning they have in common usage and to give this subchapter its most reasonable application. For the purpose of this subchapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
AGRICULTURAL LANDS. Those lands in actual agricultural use and for which an agricultural tax exemption has been granted.
APPLICANT. The person applying for a permit to proceed with a project.
ARTERIAL STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. Those which are used primarily for fast or heavy traffic, as defined in the city's Comprehensive Plan.
AQUIFER. An underground formation permeable enough to transmit, store, or yield quantities of salt or fresh water.
AS-BUILT PLANS. The amended site plans specifying the locations, dimensions, elevations, capacities and capabilities of structures or facilities as they have been constructed.
CHANNEL. A natural stream that conveys water or a ditch excavated for the flow of water.
CITY ENGINEER. The City of Palm Bay City Engineer or his or her designee.
CLEARING. The removal of surface features such as trees or brush from the land or artificial drainage system but shall not include mowing.
COLLECTOR STREETS. Those streets which carry traffic from minor streets to the major system of arterial streets and highways, or as defined in the Comprehensive Plan of the city.
CONSTRUCTION. Any activity including land clearing, earth moving, or the erection of structures which may result in the creation of a Stormwater Management System.
CONTROL ELEVATION. The lowest elevation at which water can be released through the discharge structure.
CONTROL STRUCTURE. The element of a stormwater discharge system which allows the gradual release of water under controlled conditions.
CONTOUR. An imaginary line on the surface of the earth connecting points of the same elevation.
CROSS-SECTION SLOPE (STREET). The slope of pavement perpendicular to the centerline.
CURB AND GUTTER SECTION. A curb section constructed integrally with gutter.
CUT. A portion of land surface or area from which earth has been removed or will be removed by excavating; the depth below original ground surface of excavated surface.
CUT AND FILL. A process of earth moving by excavating part of an area and using the excavated material for adjacent embankments or fill areas.
DAM. A barrier to confine or raise water for storage, detention or diversion, to create a hydraulic head, to prevent erosion downstream, or for retention of soil or other debris.
DATUM. A plane, level or line from which heights and depths are calculated or measured and referenced to the USGS, National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD), 1929.
DESIGN HIGHWATER. The elevation of the water surface as determined by the flow conditions of the design floods.
DESIGN STORM. A selected rainfall pattern of specified amount, intensity, duration, and frequency that is used as a basis for design.
DETENTION. To the collection and storage of surface water for subsequent controlled discharge at a rate which is less than the rate of inflow.
DETENTION TIME. The theoretical time required to displace the contents of a tank or unit at a given rate of discharge (volume divided by rate of discharge).
DETENTION VOLUME. The volume of water equal to the difference between overflow elevation and control elevation of a discharge structure times the average area of open surface storage (at the control elevation) behind the discharge structure.
DEVELOPER. Any person who engages in development or development activity either in his or her own behalf or as the agent of an owner of property.
DEVELOPMENT or DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY.
(1) The construction, installation, demolition, or removal of a structure, impervious surface, or drainage facility; or
(2) Clearing, scraping, grubbing, killing, or otherwise removing the vegetation from a site;
(3) Adding, removing, exposing, excavating, leveling, grading, digging, burrowing, dumping, piling, dredging, or otherwise significantly disturbing the soil, mud, sand or rock of a site.
DIRECT DISCHARGE. Discharge of storm- water through a control structure to the receiving water body.
DISCHARGE OR DISCHARGE POINT. The point of outflow of water from a project, site, aquifer, drainage basin or facility.
DISCHARGE STRUCTURE. A structural device through or over which water is discharged from a stormwater management system.
DISTURBED AREA. The area of land disturbed by development or construction.
DRAIN. A buried pipe or other conduit (closed drain) and/or a ditch (open drain) for carrying off surface water or groundwater.
DRAINAGE FACILITY. The whole or any part of the drainage system.
DRAINAGE SYSTEM. The system through which water flows; it includes all watercourses, water bodies, and wetlands.
DRAWDOWN. Lowering of the water surface (in open channel flow), water table or piezometric surface (in ground water flow) resulting from a withdrawal of water.
DRY RETENTION. A water storage area with the bottom elevation at least one (1) foot or more above the wet season water table elevation. Retention storage percolates into the ground and evaporates rather than being discharged to receiving waters.
DURATION. The period of time from beginning of a rainfall event to the end of a rainfall event.
ELEVATION. The height in feet expressed in relation to mean sea level and referenced to the USGS, National Geodetic Vertical Datum (NGVD), 1929.
EMBANKMENT. A man-made deposit of soil, rock or other material used to form an impoundment.
ENVIRONMENT. The sum total of all the natural external conditions that may act upon an organism or community to influence its development or existence.
EROSION. The wearing or washing away of soil by the action of wind or water.
EROSIVE VELOCITY. That velocity of water in a stream, channel, canal, ditch, and the like which, when exceeded will cause erosion of the banks and/or existing land.
EVENT. The specific storm which is, or is to be, considered in the design of a stormwater management system.
EXFILTRATION. On-site retention of storm- water accomplished below ground. Stormwater runoff is collected for temporary storage and infiltration.
EXISTING. The average physical condition of the land and buildings on site immediately before development or redevelopment commences.
FDEP. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, a governmental entity which has overlapping jurisdiction.
FDOT. Florida Department of Transportation, a governmental entity which has overlapping jurisdiction
FILL. Soil, consolidated or unconsolidated material, deposited on land or in water.
FIRST FLUSH. The first portion of runoff generated by a rainfall event and containing the main portion of the pollutant load resulting from the storm.
FLOOD. A temporary rise in the level of any water body, watercourse, or wetland which results in the inundation of areas not ordinarily covered by water.
FLOOD ROUTING. Determining the changes in the rise and fall of flood water in a lake or as it proceeds downstream through a channel, natural stream or reservoir.
FLOOD STAGE. The stage at which overflow of the natural banks of a lake or stream begins.
FREEBOARD. A vertical distance between the elevation of the design highwater and the top of the bank, control structure, dam, or levee.
FREQUENCY OF STORM (DESIGN STORM FREQUENCY). The anticipated period in years that will elapse, based on average probability of storms in the design area, before a storm of a given intensity and/or total volume will recur or the probability that a storm of a given intensity and/or total volume will occur in any given year; thus a twenty-five (25) year storm can be expected to occur on the average one (1) every twenty-five (25) years or have a 1/25 (4%) chance of occurring in any given year.
GRADE. The slope of a road, channel, pipe, drain, or natural ground. The finished surface of a canal bed, roadbed, top of embankment or bottom of excavation; any surface prepared for the support of construction such as paving or the laying of conduit pipe, etc.
GRADIENT. The change of elevation, velocity, pressure or other characteristics per unit length; slope.
GRADING. Any stripping, cutting, filling, stockpiling, or any combination thereof, including the land in its cut and fill condition.
GROUNDWATER. Water beneath the surface of the ground whether or not flowing through known and definite channels.
GROUNDWATER TABLE. The free surface of the groundwater, that surface subject to atmospheric pressure under the ground, generally rising and falling with the season, the rate of withdrawal, the rate of restoration, and other conditions. It is not a static condition.
HYDROGRAPH. A graph that shows the time distribution of runoff at a point of interest. A typical hydrograph for a single storm consists of a curve with a rising limb, a peak, and a receding limb. The shape of the curve depends on the duration and intensity of the rainfall, and drainage characteristics of the basin.
HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY. See
PERMEABILITY.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE. A surface which has been compacted or covered with a layer of material so that it is highly resistant to infiltration by water. The term includes most conventionally surfaced streets, roofs, sidewalks, parking lots, and similar structures.
IMPOUNDMENT. Retention of water by artificial means.
INDIRECT DISCHARGE. Discharge of storm- water from a system by other than a control structure.
INDIRECT RUNOFF. That portion of runoff that contributes to the total runoff that enters the receiving system by indirect means, i.e., grassed area, not directly connected to the receiving system.
INFILTRATION PERCOLATION. An approach to land application in which stormwater runoff is applied to the land, by natural or man-made means, infiltrates the surface and percolates through the soil pores.
INFILTRATION RATE. A soil characteristic determining or describing the rate at which water can enter the soil under specific conditions, including the presence of an excess of water. Rate normally is not constant.
INLET. The opening into a storm sewer system for the entrance of surface storm runoff.
INVERT. The lowest point on the inside of a sewer or other conduit.
LAND. The earth, water, air, above, below or on the surface, and includes any vegetation, improvements or structures.
LANDLOCKED. The condition of a permanent water body in which, under normal rainfall conditions, it has no definitive, surface or conduit outfall to the ocean.
LINING. Impervious material such as concrete, clay, plastic, etc., placed on the sides and bottom of a ditch or channel and other water bodies to prevent or reduce the seepage of water through the sides and the bottom and/or prevent erosion.
MTWCD. Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District, a governmental entity which has overlapping jurisdiction.
MAINTENANCE. That action taken to restore or preserve the functional intent of any facility or system.
MARGINAL ACCESS STREETS. Minor streets which are parallel to and adjacent to arterial streets and highways; and which provide access to abutting properties and protection from through traffic.
MINOR STREETS. Those which are used primarily for access to the abutting properties.
NGVD. The National Geodetic Vertical Datum as corrected in 1929 and is a vertical control used as a reference for establishing varying elevations.
NATURAL FLOW. The flow patterns of storm- water runoff over the land in its pre-development state; elements of natural drainage include overland flow, depressions, natural watercourses, etc.
NATURAL SYSTEMS. Systems which pre- dominantly consist of or use those communities of plants, animals, bacteria, and other life systems which naturally occur on the land, in the soil or in the water.
OFF-LINE. The storage of a specified portion of the stormwater in such a way so that subsequent runoff in excess of the specified volume of storm- water does not flow into the area storing the initial stormwater.
OUTFALL. The point, location or structure where stormwater runoff discharges to a receiving body of water.
OUTLET. A point of stormwater disposal from a stream, river, lake or artificial drain.
OVERFLOW. A pipeline or conduit device together with an outlet pipe that provides for the discharge of portions of storm sewer flows into receiving water, or other points of disposal after a device has allowed the portion of the water which can be handled by the storm sewer lines be carried by.
OVERFLOW ELEVATION. Design elevation of a discharge structure at which, or below which, water is contained behind the structure, for that which leaks out, or bleeds out, through a control device down to the control elevation.
OWNER. The person in whom is vested the fee ownership, dominion, or title of property, that is the lawful proprietor. This term may also include a tenant, if, under his or her lease, he or she is responsible for the maintenance of the property; also any agent of the owner or of the tenant including a developer.
PEAK DISCHARGE. The maximum instantaneous flow from a given storm condition at a specific location.
PERCOLATION. The movement of water through soils.
PERCOLATION RATE. The rate usually expressed as a velocity at which water moves through saturated granular material.
PERMANENT POOL. That portion of a wet detention pond, which normally holds water, for example: between the normal water level and the pond bottom, excluding any water volume claimed as wet detention treatment volume.
PERMEABILITY. The property of a soil which allows the seepage of fluids through its interconnected void spaces, or more simply, the permeability describes how water flows through a soil. Units commonly used are cm/sec. for laboratory work, or ft/day for the design of engineering works.
PERSON. Any and all persons, including an individual, firm, corporation, government agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, two (2) or more persons having a joint or common interest, or any other legal entity.
PERVIOUS. Allowing movement of water.
POLLUTANTS. Dredge spoil, solid wastes, incinerator residue, sewage, garbage, sewage sludge, chemical wastes, biological materials, radioactive materials, heat, wrecked or discarded equipment, rock, and industrial, municipal and agricultural waste discharged into water.
POLLUTION. The presence in waters of the state of any substances, contaminants or man-made or man-induced impairment of waters or alteration of the chemical, physical, biological, or radiological integrity of water in quantities or at levels which are or may be potentially harmful or injurious to human health or welfare, animal or plant life, or property or which unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life of property, including outdoor recreation unless authorized by applicable law.
POST-DEVELOPMENT CONDITION FOR STORMWATER RUNOFF. Topography, vegetation, rate, volume, direction and pollution load of storm- water or groundwater flow that will exist after development.
PRE-DEVELOPMENT CONDITION FOR STORMWATER RUNOFF. Topography; vegetation; rate, volume, direction and pollution load of storm- water or groundwater flow existing prior to development.
PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER (PE). A person in the United States who has achieved a registration through an examination process by which the State of Florida Board of Engineering Licensing, (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) determines and certifies that person has achieved a minimum level of competence pursuant to Fla. Stat. §§ 471.001 through 471.037. This process protects the public by preventing unqualified individuals from offering engineering services.
PROJECT. The particular structures and improvements to a site proposed by an applicant on a particular land area which may be part of a common plan of development and shall include the subdivision of land.
PUBLIC WORKS MANUAL. The document referenced in and made a part of this subchapter of the City Code which, in part, outlines the Engineering design criteria and permitting procedures for stormwater management within the city.
RAINFALL INTENSITY. The rate at which rain is falling at any given instant, usually expressed as inches per hour.
RATE. Volume per unit of time.
RECEIVING BODIES OF WATER. Any water bodies, watercourses, and wetlands into which surface waters flow.
RECHARGE. The inflow of water into a project, site, aquifer, drainage basin or facility.
REGISTERED LAND SURVEYOR. A person in the United States who has achieved a registration through an examination process by which the Department of Business and Professional Regulation of the State of Florida determines and certifies that person to engage in the practice of land surveying pursuant to Fla. Stat. §§ 472.001 through 472.039. This process protects the public by preventing unqualified individuals from offering surveying services.
RETENTION. The collection and storage of runoff without subsequent surface discharge to surface waters.
RETENTION/DETENTION AREA (DRY). Water storage area with bottom elevation at least one (1) foot above seasonal high groundwater table elevation.
RETENTION/DETENTION AREA (WET). Water storage area with bottom elevation lower than one (1) foot above seasonal high groundwater table elevation.
RETENTION STRUCTURE. A natural or artificial basin that functions similar to a detention structure except that it maintains a permanent storm- water runoff.
RETROFITTING. To improving the quality of urban stormwater runoff to whatever degree is achievable. The improvement can include the existing system modification, or the addition of new structures or stormwater management practices, or changes in activities or land uses.
RIPRAP. The use of man-made or natural materials placed on earth surfaces for protection against the action of water.
ROUTING. Storing, regulating, diverting or otherwise controlling the peak flows of stormwater runoff through a collection system according to some predetermined plan or design.
RUNOFF. The portion of precipitation that flows from a drainage area on the land surface, in open channels or in stormwater conveyance systems.
RUNOFF COEFFICIENT. A decimal number used in the Rational formula which defines the runoff characteristics of the drainage area under consideration. It may be applied to an entire drainage basin as a composite representation or may be applied to a small individual area such as a (1) residential or commercial lot.
SJRWMD. St. Johns River Water Management District, a governmental entity which has overlapping jurisdiction.
SEASONAL HIGH GROUNDWATER TABLE ELEVATION. The highest level of the saturated zone in the soil in a year with normal rainfall.
SEDIMENT. Solid material, whether mineral or organic, that is in suspension, is being transported, or has moved from its site or origin by air, water, or gravity.
SEDIMENT FACILITY. Any structure or area which is designed to hold runoff water until suspended sediments have settled.
SITE. Any tract, lot or parcel of land or combination of tracts, lots, or parcels of land which are in one ownership, or are contiguous and in diverse ownership where development is to be performed as part of a unit, subdivision, or project.
SLOPE. A degree of deviation of a surface from the horizontal; measured as a numerical ratio, percentage, or in degrees. Expressed as a ratio, the first number is the horizontal distance and the second is the vertical distance, such as two to one (2:1). A two to one (2:1) slope is a fifty percent (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.
STORAGE CAPACITY. The volume of water which can be impounded by the structure below the emergency spillway crest and above the wet season water table.
STORM FREQUENCY. The time interval between major storms of predetermined intensity and volumes of runoff which storm drainage systems and such appurtenant structures are designed and constructed to handle hydraulically without surcharging and back flooding, e.g., a five (5) year, ten (10) year or twenty-five (25) year storm.
STORM SEWER. A conduit that carries storm- water.
STORMWATER RUNOFF. The flow of water which results from, and which occurs during and immediately following a rainfall event.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. A system which is designed and constructed or implemented to control discharges which are necessitated by rainfall events, incorporating methods to collect, convey, store, absorb, inhibit, treat, use or reuse water to prevent or reduce flooding, overdrainage environmental degradation, and water pollution or otherwise affect the quality and quantity of the discharges.
STREET CURB. The lateral side of the pavement determined by either a vertical or a sloped section.
STRUCTURE. Anything constructed, installed, or portable, the use of which requires a location on a parcel of land.
SUB-BASIN. A physical division of a larger basin associated with one reach of the storm drainage system.
SUBDIVISION. The division of a tract or parcel of land into three or more tracts or parcels.
SURFACE WATER. All water the surface of which is exposed to the atmosphere.
SUSPENDED SOLIDS. Solids either floating or suspended in water.
SWALE. A natural or man-made drainage pathway, which if manmade has a top width to depth ratio of the cross-section equal to or greater than six to one (6:1) or side slopes equal to or greater than three (3) feet horizontal to one (1) foot vertical; and has a grade as flat as the topography and design conditions will allow; and only contains contiguous areas of standing or flowing water following the occurrence of rainfall or flooding; and is planted with vegetation suitable for soil stabilization, stormwater treatment, and nutrient uptake.
TIME OF CONCENTRATION. The time required for storm runoff to flow from the most remote point of a drainage area to the outlet or point under consideration. It is not constant but varies with the depth of flow, grades, and conditions of conduit and/or channel.
USGS. The United States Geological Survey.
VEGETATION. All plant growth, especially trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, mosses, and grasses.
VOLUME. Occupied space, measured in cubic units.
WATER and COMMUNITY WATERS. Any and all water on or beneath the surface of the ground or in the atmosphere. It includes the water in any watercourse, water body, or drainage system. It also includes diffused surface water and water percolating, standing, or flowing beneath the surface of the ground, as well as coastal waters.
WATER BODY. Any natural or artificial pond, lake, reservoir, or other area which ordinarily or intermittently contains water and which has a discernable shoreline.
WATER QUALITY. To describe the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of water usually in respect to its suitability for a particular purpose.
WATER RESOURCES. A supply of ground water and water in a given area.
WATER TABLE. The boundary between the zone of saturation and the zone of aeration. The water table varies with such factors as tides, amount of rainfall, and evaporation.
WATERCOURSE. Any natural or artificial stream, creek, channel, ditch, canal, waterway, gully, ravine or wash in which water flows in a definite direction, either continuously or intermittently, and which has a definite channel, bed or banks.
WATERSHED. The region drained by or contributing water to a stream, lake or other body of water.
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT. Use, regulation and treatment of water and land resources of a watershed to accomplish stated objectives.
WEIR. A device for measuring or regulating the flow of water.
WETLANDS. Those areas saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a dominance of vegetation adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. For the purposes of these regulations, wetlands are those areas which meet the criteria of both (1) and (2) as follows:
(1) Those areas which support a dominance of wetland vegetation types listed in the rules of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection;
(2) Those areas associated with soil types as mapped in the latest edition of the soil survey of Brevard County by the United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service.
WET DETENTION. The collection and temporary storage of stormwater in a permanently wet impoundment in such a way as to provide for treatment through physical, chemical and biological processes with subsequent gradual release of storm- water.
(Ord. 95-33, passed 8-24-95)