Environmental Rules in Bensalem, PA (2026)
4 verified environmental rules for Bensalem, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Bensalem Township regulates stormwater under Chapter 196, requiring a site plan and permit for most land development and earth disturbance. Projects creating over 1,000 square feet of new impervious surface must control runoff volume and peak rate; violations carry misdemeanor fines up to $1,000 per day.
Stormwater Management Rules in Bensalem
Significant RestrictionsBensalem Township Code § 196-6, § 196-130
Sec. 196-6. - Exemptions. (a)Regulated activities that create impervious surfaces smaller than or equal to 1,000 square feet do not have to apply the volume control requirements of this chapter. Regulated activities of this size are exempt from the peak rate control requirements and the SWM site plan preparation located in article IV of this chapter. ... (b)Regulated activities that create impe...
Erosion Control
Before any grading, excavating or vegetation removal begins on a proposed Bensalem subdivision or land development, Bensalem Township Code § 201-106(a) requires an erosion and sediment control plan reviewed by the Bucks County Conservation District and approved by the Planning Commission and Township Council, plus a land alteration permit under Ordinance No. 212.
Bensalem Erosion & Sediment Control Permit
Significant RestrictionsBensalem Township Code § 201-106(a)
No changes shall be made in the contour of the land; no grading, excavating, removal or destruction of the topsoil, trees or other vegetative cover of the land shall be commenced within a proposed subdivision or land development until such time as a plan for minimizing erosion and sedimentation has been reviewed by the County conservation district, reviewed and approved by the Township Planning...
Flood Zones
Bensalem Township requires a permit from the Floodplain Administrator before any construction or development anywhere in the township, waived only for minor repairs, under Chapter 104, Sec. 104-3. The Zoning Officer serves as Floodplain Administrator and identifies special flood hazard areas from FEMA's 2015 maps under Sec. 104-31, administering the Pennsylvania Flood Plain Management Act locally.
Floodplain Development Permits in Bensalem
Some RestrictionsBensalem Township Code §§ 104-3, 104-31
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business or corporation to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any construction or development anywhere within Bensalem Township unless a permit has been obtained from the Floodplain Administrator.(b)A Permit shall not be required for minor repairs to existing buildings or structures. ... The identified floodplain area shall be: (1)Any area...
Flood Elevation Requirements
New construction or substantial improvement in Bensalem Township's AE, A1-30 and AH flood zones must have its lowest floor elevated to the regulatory flood elevation, defined as the base flood elevation plus 18 inches of freeboard, under Sec. 104-42(1)a. New construction and substantial improvements are otherwise prohibited in identified floodplain areas absent a Zoning Hearing Board variance.
Flood Elevation and Freeboard Standards in Bensalem
Some RestrictionsBensalem Township Code § 104-42(1)a
Within any identified floodplain area any new construction or substantial improvements shall be prohibited. If a variance is obtained for new construction or substantial improvements in the identified floodplain area in accordance with the criteria in article VII, then the following provisions apply: (1)Residential structures.a.In AE, A1-30, and AH Zones, any new construction or substantial imp...
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