Environmental Rules in Medford, MA (2026)
4 verified environmental rules for Medford, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Article V of chapter 82, adopted by Ord. No. 757 in 2010, protects water quality through Medford's NPDES MS4 permit program, and Revised Ordinances § 82-127(a) bars discharging any pollutant or non-stormwater into the city's storm drain system, watercourses or Commonwealth waters.
Medford Stormwater Discharge Prohibitions
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances §§ 82-123, 82-127(a)
The purpose of this article is to improve and protect water quality, reduce erosion and sedimentation, promote environmentally sensitive site design practices, stormwater reuse and groundwater recharge, and insure long term maintenance of stormwater control to meet all applicable federal and state requirements of the city's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System for Small Municipal Sep...
Erosion Control
Any excavating, cutting, grading or other land-disturbing activity in Medford requires a stormwater permit from the director of public works under Revised Ordinances § 82-128, with a construction and post-construction stormwater management plan submitted to the city engineer first.
Medford Land-Disturbance Stormwater Permit
Significant RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances § 82-128
No person shall excavate, cut, grade or perform any land-disturbing activities without an issued stormwater permit from the director of the department of public works or his/her designee. Prior to the stormwater permit issuance owners of new development and re-development sites shall submit to the city engineer for approval a site construction and post-construction stormwater management plan, i...
Flood Zones
In the City of Medford, Massachusetts, any construction in a FEMA-designated flood zone must comply with the city's Flood Damage Prevention ordinance, Chapter 46 of the Revised Ordinances. Areas of special flood hazard cover Zone A and AE parcels shown on the Middlesex County Flood Insurance Rate Map dated June 4, 2010. The city engineer enforces the ordinance, and violators face the general penalty under Section 1-13.
Medford, MA Flood Zone Development Rules
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances §§ 46-35, 46-36
Sec. 46-35. - Basis for establishing the areas of special flood hazard. The areas of special flood hazard within the City of Medford include all areas designated as Zone A and AE on the Middlesex County Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the administration of the National Flood Insurance Program. The map panels of the Middlesex County FI...
Flood Elevation Requirements
In the City of Medford, Massachusetts, Section 46-112 of the Revised Ordinances sets the elevation standard for new construction inside a mapped flood zone. New or substantially improved residential structures must have the lowest floor, including the basement, built at or above the base flood elevation shown on the Middlesex County Flood Insurance Rate Map. Nonresidential buildings may floodproof instead.
Medford, MA Base Flood Elevation Standard
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances § 46-112
Sec. 46-112. - Specific standards. In all areas of special flood hazards where base flood elevation data has been provided as set forth in section 46-35, or in section 46-73, the following standards are required: (1)Residential construction. New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor, including the basement, elevated to or above base f...