1. The U.S. EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) permit program (“Program”) administered by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (“IDNR”) requires that cities meeting certain demographic and environmental impact criteria obtain from the IDNR an NPDES permit for the discharge of storm water from a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (“MS4”) (“MS4 Permit”). The City of Windsor Heights is subject to the Program and is required to obtain, and has obtained, an MS4 Permit; the City’s MS4 Permit is on file at the office of the City Clerk and is available for public inspection during regular office hours.
2. As a condition of the City’s MS4 Permit, the City is obliged to develop, implement, adopt and enforce a POST-CONSTRUCTION STORM WATER CONTROL ordinance.
3. No State or federal funds have been made available to assist the City in administering and enforcing the Program. Accordingly, the City shall fund its operations under this chapter entirely by charges imposed on the owners or developers of properties which are made subject to the Program by virtue of State and federal law, and/or other sources of funding established by a separate ordinance.
4. Land development and associated increases in impervious cover alter the hydrologic response of local watersheds and increase storm water runoff rates and volumes, flooding, stream channel erosion, and sediment transport and deposition if left uncontrolled; this uncontrolled storm water runoff contributes to increased quantities of water-borne pollutants; and storm water runoff, soil erosion, and non-point source pollution can be controlled and minimized through the regulation of storm water runoff from development sites.
5. Therefore, City establishes this set of City storm water requirements applicable to all surface waters to provide reasonable guidance for the regulation of storm water runoff for the purpose of protecting local water resources from degradation. It is determined that the regulation of storm water runoff discharges from land development and other construction activities in order to control and minimize increases in storm water runoff rates and volumes, soil erosion, stream channel erosion, and non-point source pollution associated with storm water runoff is in the public interest and will prevent threats to public health and safety.
6. The Iowa Storm Water Management Manual published collaboratively by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and maintained by the Iowa Storm Water Education Program establishes guidelines consisting of unified sizing criteria (water quality volume, channel protection storage volume, overbank flood protection, extreme flood protection), storm water management designs and specifications and best management practices (BMPs). The City hereby finds and declares that the guidelines provided for in the Iowa Storm Water Management Manual, or future editions thereof, along with any locally adopted modifications, are hereby adopted as the storm water management standards of the City. Any BMP installation that complies with the provisions of the Iowa Storm Water Management Manual, or future editions thereof, at the time of installation shall be deemed to have been installed in accordance with this chapter.