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Environmental Rules in Farmington Hills, MI (2026)

5 verified environmental rules for Farmington Hills, Michigan, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Stormwater Management

Farmington Hills bans discharging anything but stormwater into its municipal storm drain system under the city's illicit discharge elimination program. City Code Sec. 33-306 prohibits illegal discharges, illicit connections, and direct dumping into the storm sewer, with narrow exemptions like firefighting water and dechlorinated single-family pool water. The Department of Public Services enforces the article, and violations are municipal civil infractions under Sec. 1-24.

Farmington Hills Stormwater Discharge Prohibitions

Some Restrictions

Farmington Hills City Code § 33-306(a)

No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the storm drain system or watercourses, any materials, including, but not limited to, pollutants or waters containing any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards, other than stormwater. The commencement, conduct or continuance of any illegal discharge to the storm drain system is prohibited...

Erosion Control

Farmington Hills requires soil erosion and sediment control devices on every site under construction, per the Stormwater Engineering Design Standards the city adopted by reference in Sec. 33-320 (Appendix B). Projects need a soil erosion and sedimentation control permit under Part 91 of Act 451, and the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner administers the program and enforces its 'Erosion Control Manual' for city sites.

Farmington Hills Construction Erosion Control Rules

Some Restrictions

Farmington Hills City Code, Appendix B - Stormwater Engineering Design Standards § III.H (Soil Erosion and Sediment Control), adopted by § 33-320

Soil erosion and sediment control devices shall be installed as required by the Water Resources Commissioner's "Erosion Control Manual" within municipalities where the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Program is administered by WRC. The following points should be kept in mind when designing an erosion control plan for a site: 1.Areas within open drain rights-of-way, which have been cleane...

Flood Zones

Farmington Hills regulates floodprone land by adopting FEMA's 2006 Oakland County Flood Insurance Study and its Flood Insurance Rate Maps directly into the Michigan Building Code it enforces. Development within a mapped special flood hazard area must meet the construction-code flood provisions the city administers.

Farmington Hills Floodplain Hazard Area Rules

Some Restrictions

Farmington Hills City Code § 7-30

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Study (FIS) entitled "Flood Insurance Study, Oakland County, Michigan, and Incorporated Areas" and dated September 29, 2006, the Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMS) panel numbers of 26125C489F, 26125C0493F, 26125C0494F, 26125C0513F, 26125C0514F, 26125C0631F, 26125C0632F, 26125C0633F, 26125C0634F, 26125C0651F, 26125C0652F, 26125C0653F,...

Vehicle Idling Restrictions

Farmington Hills bars a parked or standing commercial truck or tractor-trailer from running its engine audibly on adjacent residential property for more than 20 minutes while loading, unloading or waiting to do so. Section 17-101(e)(2) treats this as a noise violation independent of the decibel table.

Farmington Hills Commercial Truck Idling Limit

Some Restrictions

City Code § 17-101(e)(2)

Noise, that is audible on adjacent residential property, emanating from the running engine of any parked or standing commercial truck or tractor-trailer while loading or unloading, or while waiting to load or unload, cargo is prohibited, if such vehicle is parked or standing for such purposes for a period of more than twenty (20) minutes, even though the measured sound level does not exceed the...

Flood Elevation Requirements

Farmington Hills requires one foot of freeboard above the 100-year stormwater elevation in every detention and retention basin, under the Stormwater Engineering Design Standards adopted by City Code Sec. 33-320 (Appendix B). A 0.5-foot buffer must separate the 100-year storage elevation from the emergency overflow spillway, and the primary overflow structure's rim must sit at the 100-year storm elevation.

Farmington Hills Detention Basin Freeboard Rule

Some Restrictions

Farmington Hills City Code, Appendix B - Stormwater Engineering Design Standards § III.F (General Detention Basin Requirements, item 5-6), adopted by § 33-320

5.One foot of freeboard shall be provided above the 100-year stormwater elevation. A vertical distance of 0.50' shall be provided between the 100-year storage elevation and the emergency overflow spillway.6.A primary overflow structure (standpipe or overflow manhole) shall be provided with its rim set at the 100-year storm elevation.

Looking for Oakland County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Farmington Hills city rules.

Environmental Rules in Oakland County