Stormwater Management (SWM)

Brief History

The Virginia Stormwater Management Act (VSMA) was first passed in 1989 and is the basis for all requirements pertaining to stormwater management in Virginia. The stated intent of the VSMA is to "ensure the general health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the Commonwealth as well as protect the quality and quantity of state waters from the potential harm of unmanaged stormwater".

When the VSMA was first passed, all state agencies were required to meet its requirements, and local governments were given the option, but not required to adopt a local program. The VSMA and Virginia Stormwater Management Regulations have been amended and expanded several times since its enactment in 1989 but perhaps the biggest changes occurred in 2012 as a result of the passage of House Bill 1065, also called the Integration Bill. Among the changes made in that Bill, is the requirement that certain counties, cities and towns in the state adopt and administer a local Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP), effectively creating a statewide program that can operate at the local level.

In response to the passage of House Bill 1065, Patrick County adopted its Stormwater Management Ordinance on September 22, 2014, which effectively established Patrick County as a local Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP) Authority.

Mission

Although only having been enacted since 2014, the Patrick County SWM Office is striving to fulfill its intended purpose which is to "ensure the general health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Patrick County and the Town of Stuart and to protect the quality and quantity of state waters from the potential harm of unmanaged stormwater, including protection from a land-disturbing activity causing unreasonable degradation of properties, water quality, stream channels, and other natural resources, and to establish procedures whereby stormwater requirements related to water quality and quantity shall be administered and enforced."

Action

The Patrick County SWM Office accomplishes the purpose of the County's Stormwater Management Ordinance by; effectively administering the application process requirements of the state's General VPDES Permit (VAR10) for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities and issuing a VSMP Authority Permit (SWM-P01) for any non-exempt land-disturbing activity that results in a disturbance of 1 acre or more; by implementing a systematic program for inspections to ensure that the conditions of the permits are being carried out; and by pursuing enforcement actions when a violation of the ordinance exists.