The purpose of this Part is to promote the public health, safety, and welfare within the City of Reading and its watersheds by maintaining the natural hydrologic regime by minimizing the impacts described in § 505-102 of this Part through provisions designed to:
A. Promote alternative project designs and layout that minimizes impacts to surface and groundwater.
B. Promote nonstructural best management practices (BMPs).
C. Minimize increases in stormwater volume.
D. Minimize impervious surfaces.
E. Manage accelerated runoff and erosion and sedimentation problems at their source by regulating activities that cause these problems.
F. Provide review procedures and performance standards for stormwater planning and management.
G. Utilize and preserve the existing natural drainage systems.
H. Manage stormwater impacts close to the runoff source, which requires a minimum of structures and relies on natural processes.
I. Focus on infiltration of stormwater where compatible, to maintain groundwater recharge, to prevent degradation of surface and groundwater quality and to otherwise protect water resources.
J. Maintain existing base flows and quality of streams and watercourses, where possible.
K. Meet legal water quality requirements under state law, including regulations at 25 Pa. Code, Chapter 93.4a, to protect and maintain existing uses and maintain the level of water quality to support those uses in all streams, and to protect and maintain water quality in special protection streams.
L. Address the quality and quantity of stormwater discharges from the development site.
M. Provide a mechanism to identify controls necessary to meet the NPDES permit requirements.
N. Implement an illegal discharge detection and elimination program to address nonstormwater discharges into the municipality's separate storm sewer system.
O. Preserve and restore the flood-carrying capacity of streams.
P. Prevent scour and erosion of stream banks and streambeds.
Q. Provide performance standards and design criteria for watershed-wide stormwater management and planning.
R. Provide proper operation and maintenance of all permanent stormwater management facilities and BMPs that are implemented in the municipality.