Stormwater Management
Stormwater Management in Atlanta
Elected officials, city staff and residents are working together to manage stormwater in Atlanta. The program includes a variety of activities spanning numerous offices.
What is Stormwater and Why Can It Be a Problem?
More frequently, heavy downpours and intense storms threaten to cause extreme flooding and degrade our water quality. Impervious areas such as streets, sidewalks, parking lots and rooftops prevent rainfall from soaking into the ground. Instead, rainfall becomes stormwater runoff by flowing across these impervious surfaces. Increased rainfall volumes created during a heavy storm, can cause flooding of our streets and erosion in our streams. Additionally, the resulting runoff gathers various pollutants and deposits them directly to our streams.
Report Problems
To report a drainage problem or an illicit discharge/illegal dumping into the storm drainage system, dial 311 from any phone within the City of Atlanta, go to the ATL311 website at www.atl311.com or use the 311 app from your cell phone. If outside the city limits then call (404) 546-0311.
The discharge of any polluted water, sewage, oil, and/or other material into any natural outlet in the City, including any storm drain/catch basin, roadside ditch, stream, and/or manhole, is strictly prohibited.
Illegal dumping or illicit discharges may look like this:
When contacting us, please provide as much information as possible:
- Date of Incident
- Time of Incident
- Location
- Source and type of pollution (if known)
- Responsible party (if known)
- Vehicle tag number (if known)
- Your contact information*
*Your contact information is not required; however, it is helpful to have in case we need more information or follow up with you about the report.
Examples of what you can report:
- Lawn clippings and leaf litter dumped into or near storm drains
- Foam, bubbles, or a milky appearance in a ditch or waterway
- Strange odors
- Auto fluids (e.g. motor oil, antifreeze, brake fluid, etc) or chemicals (e.g. paint, cleaners, etc) spilled on the street or poured into a catch basin
- Unusual pipe or wastewater that has been piped to a creek or ditch (e.g. from a washing machine, floor drain, etc)
- Outdoor washing equipment using chemicals
- Sediment coming off a construction site
Atlanta’s Stormwater Management Program
The City of Atlanta’s Stormwater Management Program has been developed to work toward elimination of illicit discharges and reduction of pollutants entering the Chattahoochee and Ocmulgee River Basins through the City’s stormwater infrastructure, as well as to address flooding. The multiple components of The Program are outlined in the links below.
The City of Atlanta is required by state and federal environmental regulations to develop, implement and enforce an effective Stormwater Management Program. This program is designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from municipal stormwater infrastructure into waters of the state to address water quantity concerns as well as protect and improve water quality. To meet the requirements of the regulations, the City of Atlanta must inspect and maintain its drainage systems, education the public about proper stormwater management and enforce practices that reduce pollution caused by stormwater runoff.
You can access the City’s Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) Plan here.
The City of Atlanta regulates land use and may prohibit development on any property in or near floodplains. In the City of Atlanta, no new construction is allowed in the Floodplain. Further, no fill may be placed or relocated in the floodplain. More information about flooding and floodplain management is available on the City’s Floodplain Management webpage by clicking here. The Floodplain Management Ordinance is codified in Chapter 74 Article VI of the City’s Code of Ordinances, it may be viewed by clicking here. The City’s Floodplain Administrator provides general floodplain information free of charge to City residents to assist them in determining if their properties are affected by floodplains. If needed for insurance or other purposes, a resident can obtain an official floodplain letter of determination from the City’s Floodplain Administrator, Craig Rethwilm, PE, CFM at 404-546-3291 or crethwilm@atlantaga.gov
General information about flooding and floodplain management is available on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website, www.fema.gov or at the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) website, www.floodsmart.gov.
Stormwater infrastructure consists of a network of pipes, catch basins, yard inlets, open ditches and other structures that collect and transport stormwater runoff to the nearest stream, lake or river. Certain portions of stormwater infrastructure are maintained by the City, while other portions are the responsibility of private property owners or homeowners’ associations.
In general, the City of Atlanta is responsible for stormwater infrastructure that:
- Is located within the City of Atlanta’s right-of-way along municipal roadways;
- Has been formally deeded to and accepted by the City of Atlanta; and
- Is located on City of Atlanta property
The City has a robust Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) Program that investigates the source of water quality complaints reported to Department of Watershed Management. The objective of the program is to protect the public health, environment, and general welfare through the regulation of non-stormwater discharges to the City’s storm sewer system. By preventing illicit discharges, the City’s waterways will become much cleaner over time. There are many ways that you can contribute to the prevention of illicit discharges into our local waterways.
A few tips for prevention include:
- Volunteer to label storm drains with decals that include educational information, such as “No Dumping, Drains to Rivers”
- When applying pesticides or fertilizers to your lawn, be mindful not to over-apply
- Properly dispose of hazardous household and vehicle fluid wastes
- Wash your vehicle at a water recycling car wash
- When discharging chlorinated pool water, do so into a sanitary sewer system or hold the water until chlorine and temperature levels are acceptable to spread over a permeable surface before entering a storm drainage system
Stream Walks
Stream walks are conducted as part of DWM’s Stream Assessment Program. There are approximately 226 miles of perennial streams within the city limits. The City’s goal is to walk at least 20% of the perennial streams annually which results in assessments of 45 miles of stream per year. During the stream walks, DWM’s Natural Resources inspectors conduct visual observation of the creek banks, creek beds, surface water, stormwater outfalls, and general environment to identify potential sources that may be directly impacting surface water quality.
In-Stream Water Quality Monitoring
Four (4) different sampling programs are used to monitor water quality within the City of Atlanta.
Investigative trigger sampling is used to identify potential illicit discharges to the streams. Long-term water quality monitoring screens the effectiveness of the stormwater management program in addressing nonpoint source pollution. Bacterial monitoring samples are collected under dry and wet conditions to identify trends in bacteria levels as well as provide screening level data for potential sanitary sewer issues. Finally, the Georgia EPD Impaired Water Monitoring Program is used to address streams within the City that do not meet United States Environmental Protection Agency’s water quality standards.
The City also utilizes biological monitoring of fish and small aquatic species every two years to measure ecosystem health in our streams. Because these organisms are sensitive to, and are influenced by, various environmental factors, we can better understand those impacts that affect the health of our streams.
Resources for Landowners
Protecting our urban waters and natural resources is every citizen’s responsibility. If you own property adjacent to or containing bodies of water, download DWM’s ‘Landowner Guide’ for information on landowner responsibilities, useful contact numbers, and tips for protecting the water quality and condition of your stream and watershed.
The City’s Site Development/Plan Review Division reviews proposed new construction and redevelopment projects for compliance with relevant environmental requirements. Building permits cannot be issued to the applicant by the Office of Buildings until the Site Development/Plan Review Division has provided written approval of site plans requiring land disturbance.
Click here for more information about:
- Post Construction Stormwater Management
- Construction Site Pollution Control
- Stream Buffer Protection
- Flood Area Regulations
The City has an extensive public education program that focuses on educating the public about the sources of water pollution due to stormwater runoff, and its negative effects on our water supply, recreational opportunities, aquatic ecosystems and quality of life. DWM teaches the importance of water quality improvements to the public through:
- Stormwater informational brochures
- Green Infrastructure brochure
- Atlanta’s Urban Watershed Land Owner Guide
- Water bill inserts
- Adopt-a-Drain program
- Storm drain marking program
- Adopt-a-Stream program
- Social media postings
- Informational tables at fairs and festivals
- Workshops on rain barrels, composting, and green infrastructure
- Education in public elementary schools through Project WET
- Educational websites such as the green infrastructure story map
- Maintaining Streams & Creeks in the City of Atlanta
- What You Need To Know About Stormwater and Related Infrastructure
Watershed Improvement Plans
The Department of Watershed Management has developed Watershed Improvement Plans (WIPs) to address stormwater runoff by identifying potential projects and programs that will help improve watershed health. The goals of the WIP projects are to improve water quality and restore habitat in creeks and streams within each watershed.
- Watershed Improvement Plans for 10 Atlanta Watersheds
Green Infrastructure
The Department of Watershed Management is working to integrate green infrastructure throughout the City. We are doing this by constructing our own projects, regulating private development, and working through the City’s Green Infrastructure Task Force to support green infrastructure projects by other City departments and our partners. Click here to learn more about the City’s GI program.
The Department of Watershed Management has limited funding from the MOST (Municipal Option Sales Tax) to address a limited amount of assessment and repair of public stormwater infrastructure. Refer to our CIP page for project lists and maps linked here.