Surface Water Management Plan

The city adopted the surface water management plan as part of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan in 2013. Implementation requirements of the surface water management plan call for an update to the city’s stormwater management standards and ordinance to ensure all requirements of the plan are being met.

Stormwater Management Ordinance & Standards

In 2017, the city updated its stormwater management standards to meet the requirements of the surface water management plan. Following is a summary of the standards:

• All new development and redevelopment on projects which encompass one-half acre or more of disturbed area or 5,000 square-feet or more of new or reconstructed impervious surface will be evaluated based on the new stormwater requirements;
• Coal tar sealers are prohibited (refer to section below).
• For all new impervious and redevelopment impervious portions of a project, a runoff volume based on the requirements of the governing Capitol Region (CRWD), Ramsey Washington Metro (RWMWD) or Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) rules must be treated through infiltration practices;
• No person shall throw, drain, discharge into the municipal separate storm sewer system any pollutants or waters containing any pollutants other than stormwater.
• Runoff rates shall not exceed the pre-project runoff rates for the 2-year, 10-year, and 100-year critical duration storm events;

Ban On Coal Tar Sealers

The use of coal tar sealers on asphalt driveways is a common practice. Coal tar sealant products contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are a group of organic chemicals formed during the incomplete burning of coal, oil, gas, or other organic substances. Scientific studies have demonstrated a relationship between the use of these products on stormwater runoff and certain health and environmental concerns.