It is the purpose of this chapter to establish procedures to control surface water run-off through developing areas for the purpose of promoting the health, safety and general welfare of the population by minimizing or eliminating dangers of flooding to life and property. It is also the intent of this chapter to establish the maximum rates of discharge of surface waters into various watercourses of the City where detention facilities have been determined to be beneficial in reducing the flooding of existing downstream development.
This chapter sets forth rules and regulations to control excavation, grading and earthwork construction, including fills and embankments; establishes the administrative procedure for issuance of permits; provides for the approval of plans and inspection of grading construction; and provides for the enforcement of this chapter.
When used in this chapter, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section.
1. “Control structure” means a structure designed to control the flow of storm water runoff that passes through it during a specific length of time.
2. “Detention facility” means an area designed to store excess storm water.
3. “Development” means the improvement of the land from its existing state.
4. “Dry bottom storm water storage area” means a facility designed to be normally dry and contain water only when excess storm water runoff occurs.
5. “Erosion” means the loss of natural soils by the action of wind and/or water.
6. “Excess storm water” means that portion of storm water which exceeds the transportation capacity of storm sewers or natural drainage channels serving a specific watershed.
7. “Excess storm water passageway” means a channel formed in the topography of the earth's surface to carry storm water runoff through a specific area.
8. “Natural drainage” means channels formed by the existing surface topography prior to changes made by unnatural causes.
9. “Safe storm drainage capacity” means the flow of storm water runoff that can be transported by a channel or conduit without causing a rise of the water surface over the conduit or land adjacent to the channel.
10. “Soil erosion inspector” means a person employed by the City who is authorized to enforce all the provisions of this chapter and to make reports thereon.
11. “Storm water runoff” means the flow of water resulting from precipitation which is not absorbed by the soil or plant material.
12. “Storm water runoff release rate” means the rate at which storm water runoff is released from dominant to subservient land.
13. “Tributary watershed” means all of the area that contributes storm water runoff to a given point.
14. “Wet bottom storm water storage area” means a facility designed to be maintained as a pond or free water surface, and which has the capacity to contain excess storm water runoff.
15. “X-year storm” means the average recurrence intervals within which a rainfall of given intensity and duration will be equaled or exceeded only once. A one hundred-year storm would have an intensity and duration of rainfall which would, on the average, be equaled or exceeded only once in one hundred years. This does not imply that it will occur once in one hundred years, or having occurred, will not happen again for one hundred years.
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