For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
APPLICANT. A property owner or agent of a property owner who has filed an application for a storm water management permit.
BUILDING. Any structure, either temporary or permanent, having walls and a roof, designed for the shelter of any person, animal or property, and occupying more than 100 square feet of area.
BUFFER STRIP. Areas of open vegetated land adjacent to drainage ways, storm water facilities, lakes, ponds, streams, wetlands or other surface waters.
CHANNEL. A natural or artificial watercourse with a definite bed and banks that conducts continuously or periodically flowing water.
CITY. The City of Richmond, or designated party.
HOTSPOT. An area where land use or activities generate highly contaminated runoff, with concentrations of pollutants in excess of those typically found in storm water.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE. Those surfaces that cannot effectively infiltrate rainfall (e.g., building rooftops, pavement, sidewalks, driveways and the like).
INFILTRATION. The process of percolating storm water into the subsoil.
JURISDICTIONAL WETLAND. An area that is inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions, commonly known as “hydrophytic vegetation”.
LAND-DISTURBING ACTIVITY. Any human- made change of the land surface including removing vegetative cover, excavating, filling, transporting and grading. In the context of this chapter, it includes only non-agricultural land-disturbing activities.
LANDOWNER. The legal or beneficial owner of land, including those holding the right to purchase or lease the land, or any other person holding proprietary rights in the land.
MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT. A legally recorded document that acts as a property deed restriction, and which provides for long-term maintenance of storm water management practices.
NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION. Pollution from any source other than from any discernible, confined and discrete conveyances, and shall include, but not be limited to, pollutants from agricultural, silvicultural, mining, construction, subsurface disposal and urban runoff sources.
NPDES PERMIT. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. A permit issued by EPA (or by a state under authority delegated pursuant to 33 U.S.C. § 1342(b)) that authorizes the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States, whether the permit is applicable on an individual, group or general area-wide basis.
PERSON. Any individual, partnership, co-partnership, firm, company, corporation, association, trust, estate, political subdivision, state agency or any other legal entity or their legal representative, agent or assigns legally capable of owning property in the state.
POLLUTANT. A pollutant is something that causes or contributes to pollution. POLLUTANTS may include, but are not limited to: paints, varnishes and solvents; oil and other automotive fluids; non-hazardous liquid and solid wastes and yard wastes; refuse, rubbish, garbage, litter or other discarded or abandoned objects, ordnances and accumulations so that some may cause or contribute to pollution; floatables; pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers; hazardous substances and wastes; sewage, fecal coliform and pathogens; dissolved and particulate metals; animal wastes; wastes and residues that result from constructing or building a structure; sediments and noxious or offensive matter of any kind.
RECHARGE. The replenishment of underground water reserves.
REDEVELOPMENT. Any construction, alteration or improvement exceeding 5,000 square feet in areas where existing land use is high density commercial, industrial, institutional or multi-family residential.
RIPARIAN ZONE. The area along water bodies that serve as interfaces between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
RUNOFF. The portion of the precipitation from such sources as rainfall, snowmelt or irrigation water that flows over the ground surface.
SITE. The entire area included in the legal description of the land on which land-disturbing activity has been proposed in the permit application.
STOP WORK ORDER. An order issued which requires that all construction activity on a site be stopped.
STORM WATER MANAGEMENT. The use of structural or non-structural practices that are designed to reduce storm water runoff pollutant loads, discharge volumes, peak flow discharge rates and detrimental changes in stream temperature that affect water quality and habitat.
STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FACILITY. A storm water management structure or non-structural practice.
STORM WATER RUNOFF. Flow on the surface of the ground, resulting from precipitation.
STORM WATER TREATMENT PRACTICES (STPS). Measures, either structural or non-structural, that are determined to be the most effective, practical means of preventing or reducing point source or non- point source pollution inputs to storm water runoff and water bodies.
STORM WATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN. A plan developed to minimize the impact of storm water pollutants.
SWALE. A grassy depression in the ground designed to collect storm water runoff from streets, driveways, rooftops and parking lots.
(Prior Code, § 59.1.07) (Ord. 68-2005, passed - -2005)