Stormwater
Purpose
The Stormwater division inspects and maintains all city storm water sewer mains, gutters, drain ways, catch basins, and detention ponds as needed to ensure proper operation under design conditions. This division also inspects construction sites to ensure compliance with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency sediment and erosion permit requirements.
The Stormwater division inspects and maintains all city storm water sewer mains, gutters, drain ways, catch basins, and detention ponds as needed to ensure proper operation under design conditions. This division also inspects construction sites to ensure compliance with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency sediment and erosion permit requirements.
Stormwater Issues for City of Faribault Residents
The City of Faribault working alone cannot be as successful in preventing stormwater pollution as if it has the contribution, participation, and efforts of residents in the community all working towards the same goal. The following links are available to help spread the message on preventing stormwater pollution and to promote volunteer community actions to restore and protect local water resources.Rain Barrels - How do they work and how can I build one?
Rain barrels are inexpensive, easy systems that help keep rain water on site before it runs off into the street.Check out this article to read a story about a fellow Minnesota family building a rain barrel system and watering their lawn for free!
For information on how a rain barrel works and how to build one at home, check out this flyer.
Native plants are great tools for clean water
Looking to landscape your lawn for clean water and pollinators? Planting native plants is a great way to add curb appeal, provide habitat for pollinators, and capture rain water before it runs down the street.Learn about Minnesotans who are planting native plants in this article.
Check out this flyer for information on where to buy native plants. The City of Faribault is a Blue Thumb-Planting for Clean Water Partner.
Stormwater Issues for Contractors, Developers, & Builders
Construction sites within the City of Faribault are required to have proper erosion and sedimentation controls to ensure sediments stay on-site and not in our lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands. It is the contractors, developers and builders responsibility to make certain controls are in place to protect our surface waters. The following links are intended to provide more information about the necessity and requirements of the construction site runoff control program.
Stormwater Ordinance & Grading Permit
(From Section 28 of the City Code.)
Purpose
The purpose of this Ordinance is to control or eliminate Storm Water pollution along with soil erosion and sedimentation within the City through requirements and standards for conservation practices and planning activities.
The Ordinance also regulates wetlands and the areas around wetlands. Wetlands maintain water quality and are critical to stormwater management. Wetlands must be delineated to determine functional value or quality and are often classified as High, Medium or Low quality based on the Minnesota Routine Assessment Method (MNRAM). Buffer strip widths and setbacks are required dependent upon wetland classification. Wetland buffer strips are to be untouched and left in a natural state to allow runoff to be filtered before discharging to the wetland itself. Buffer strip signage is required at all property corners adjacent to the wetland in new developments.
To help minimize soil erosion and sediment transport and ensure that erosion and sediment control best management practices (BMPs) are utilized on construction sites, the City issues Land Disturbance-Grading Permits. A Grading Permit is required for any project, in which any activity has the potential to cause soil erosion on land disturbances equal to or greater than 1/2 acres; or land disturbances less than 1 acre if part of a common plan of development or sale.
Grading Permit Requirements
Requirements of the Grading Permit application may include, but are not limited to:
Grading Permit Application
For the Grading Permit Application see the Public Works Department's Permits and Applications page.
(From Section 28 of the City Code.)
Purpose
The purpose of this Ordinance is to control or eliminate Storm Water pollution along with soil erosion and sedimentation within the City through requirements and standards for conservation practices and planning activities.
The Ordinance also regulates wetlands and the areas around wetlands. Wetlands maintain water quality and are critical to stormwater management. Wetlands must be delineated to determine functional value or quality and are often classified as High, Medium or Low quality based on the Minnesota Routine Assessment Method (MNRAM). Buffer strip widths and setbacks are required dependent upon wetland classification. Wetland buffer strips are to be untouched and left in a natural state to allow runoff to be filtered before discharging to the wetland itself. Buffer strip signage is required at all property corners adjacent to the wetland in new developments.
To help minimize soil erosion and sediment transport and ensure that erosion and sediment control best management practices (BMPs) are utilized on construction sites, the City issues Land Disturbance-Grading Permits. A Grading Permit is required for any project, in which any activity has the potential to cause soil erosion on land disturbances equal to or greater than 1/2 acres; or land disturbances less than 1 acre if part of a common plan of development or sale.
Grading Permit Requirements
Requirements of the Grading Permit application may include, but are not limited to:
- A site area map showing drainage and adequate erosion and sediment control BMPs used to control runoff and minimize erosion and sediment transport
- Erosion and sediment control maintenance and inspection frequencies
- Temporary and final stabilization techniques
- A Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
- Permanent post-construction stormwater management BMPs and facilities
- Stormwater BMP operation and maintenance plan
Additional requirements also apply to projects located within the designated Shoreland Areas and Flood Management Zones. Those requirements may be found within the City’s Unified Development Ordinance.
Land disturbances equal to or greater than 1 acre, or less than 1 acre but part of a common plan of development or sale, are also required to comply the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Stormwater Permit for Construction Activity requirements. Visit the MPCA’s website for more information:
Grading Permit Application
For the Grading Permit Application see the Public Works Department's Permits and Applications page.
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program
Polluted stormwater runoff is often transported to Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) and ultimately discharged into local rivers and streams without treatment. The City of Faribault, as an MS4, has prepared a 5 year Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (SWPPP) to reduce pollutant discharge to the maximum extent practicable as required by the EPA.For more information, please view the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (PDF).