Stormwater Quantity Management
When people think of stormwater they often think of rain that hits the roof of their home, passes through the gutters, and out the downspouts. But there is more to it in how it is produced and where it goes from there. It can also result from the rain or snow that goes into the yard as well, along with sidewalks, streets and really any other surfaces. Ultimately, this water goes to either our underground system or surface water systems.
So to help protect those underground systems as well as surface systems, we have implemented stormwater management that consists of two parts, quality and quantity. Stormwater management quality, otherwise known as environmental, addresses what is in the water being produced from a site. Stormwater management quantity, otherwise known as engineering design, addresses what is done with the amount of water produced by a site.
Stormwater Quantity Management - Program
Stormwater management quantity, otherwise known as engineering design, addresses what is done with the amount of water a site produces. Typically this involves trying to control the volume of stormwater that a location produces in excess of what it did prior to a development and revolves around a 100 year storm event.
We are different in many other areas of the country in that they can simply move the water produced on to an existing body of water, such as a stream, river or lake. In our area of the country, we have karst formations which can be problematic but also can provide a solution to where to send the water produced by a site. If you want to know more about our Karst system you can follow this link to https://www.underbgky.org/learn-more.
But before the water is allowed to go to these underground features or most often adjoining properties, we attempt to control the amount of water that leaves the site. Often this involves either retention basins (where water is held in the basin and allowed to move out from the basin through a drywell) or a detention (where the water is held in the basin but overtime released through an outlet pipe in the berm or wall of a basin). However, we do consider other means of storm water quantity control that are consistent with other parts of the country and on a national level.
To accomplish this, we have the stormwater management guidelines and regulations.
City Ordinances:
Chapter XXI applies to stormwater in both quantity and quality, and is as follows:
Any person proposing or constructing alterations, improvements or other disturbances changing the flow characteristics of stormwater shall have prior approval through permitting or plan approval by the Public Works Director or designee. This includes altering drainage onto an adjoining property or right-of-way, or into any drainage crevice, sinkhole, ditch, closed system, catch basin, dry well, or any other drainage facility whether natural or constructed. (City ordinance: 21-3.01, b.)
Subdivision Regulations (from Warren County Planning Commission):
Subdivision Regulations of Warren County (adopted by ordinance by the City of Bowling Green, Kentucky as well):
https://www.warrenpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/SubdivisonPlatReviewChecklist-2019.pdf
Flood Zone Map:
Flood map zoning can be found by going to this link and turning on the 'Zoning Map' layer:
FEMA Sites:
Stormwater Management:
Storm Water Management by David Daugherty (1976)
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