Environmental Rules in Apex, NC (2026)
4 verified environmental rules for Apex, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Apex operates a Phase II NPDES MS4 stormwater program administered by the Town's Stormwater Field Services group at (919) 362-8166 and codified in the Apex Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), Article 8. Apex sits inside the Jordan Lake watershed in the Upper New Hope subwatershed (15A NCAC 02B .0265), which historically set nitrogen and phosphorus loading caps of 2.2 lb/ac/yr and 0.82 lb/ac/yr for new development. Apex was also added as a named community in the 2020 revisions to the Neuse Nutrient Strategy, with local implementation beginning July 2024.
Stormwater Management in Apex
Heavy RestrictionsErosion Control
Apex enforces erosion and sedimentation controls under the NC Sedimentation Pollution Control Act of 1973 (NCGS Chapter 113A, Article 4) and the Apex Soil and Erosion Control Ordinance. An approved Erosion Control Plan is required for any land-disturbing activity exceeding 20,000 square feet — significantly lower than the 1-acre state floor under NCGS 113A-50 et seq. The application fee is $600 per disturbed acre with no maximum, plus a $2,500 per disturbed acre performance guarantee. Proper erosion control measures are required for every construction site regardless of size, including single-family residences. Program contact: James Misciagno, CES, CPESC, Stormwater Field Services Supervisor.
Erosion Control in Apex
Heavy RestrictionsFlood Zones
Apex regulates floodplain development through Article 6, Section 6.2 (Flood Damage Prevention Overlay District) of the Unified Development Ordinance and participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The Town uses the FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps produced through the North Carolina Floodplain Mapping Program (NCFMP), which generally applies a 2-foot freeboard above the Base Flood Elevation as the regulatory flood protection elevation statewide. Regulated watercourses include Beaver Creek, Middle Creek, and Jordan Lake tributaries. Any development in a Special Flood Hazard Area requires a Floodplain Development Permit under UDO Section 6.2.7.
Flood Zones in Apex
Heavy RestrictionsGrading & Drainage
Grading and drainage in Apex are regulated through the Stormwater Control Measures (SCM) provisions of the Unified Development Ordinance Article 6 (Watershed Protection Overlay) and Article 8 (Stormwater), the Town's adopted NC Stormwater Design Manual, and the Soil and Erosion Control Ordinance. Apex is required to apply Jordan Lake Stage I Adaptive Management Strategy retrofit standards and — for projects in the Neuse River Basin portion of Town — must use the NC DEQ Stormwater Nitrogen & Phosphorous (SNAP) spreadsheet tool to demonstrate nutrient reduction. SCMs (detention basins, bioretention, wet ponds, sand filters) must be designed to hold and slowly release the design storm volume.
Grading and Drainage in Apex
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Wake County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Apex city rules.
Environmental Rules in Wake County →