Environmental Rules in Phoenix, AZ (2026)
4 verified environmental rules for Phoenix, Arizona, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Phoenix bans releasing anything but stormwater into public storm drains, rights-of-way, or retention basins, treating unauthorized discharges of pollutants or significant materials as a public nuisance under City Code Chapter 32C.
Phoenix Storm Drain Discharge Ban
Some RestrictionsPhoenix City Code § 32C-103
A. A person may not use, store, treat or dispose of stormwater, pollutants, or significant materials in a manner that creates a public nuisance as defined in Section 32C-102. B. A person may not release to a publicly owned right-of-way, retention or detention basin, or public storm drain system any substance that is not composed entirely of stormwater, except for the following: 1. Releases purs...
Erosion Control
Phoenix requires a grading permit before any building permit for work in a watercourse, drainageway or flood hazard area, or before filling/excavating over set thresholds.
Phoenix Grading Permit Required for Drainage Work
Some RestrictionsPhoenix City Code § 32A-6(A)
No person shall obtain a building permit, required by the Phoenix Building Construction Code, for work in or over any natural watercourse, drainageway, canyon, ravine, arroyo or other potential flood hazard area without first having obtained a grading permit from the Planning and Development Director. All such work and activities authorized by the grading permit shall comply with this chapter a...
Flood Zones
Any construction, fill, or development within a mapped special flood hazard area in Phoenix requires a floodplain development permit from the City Engineer before work begins.
Phoenix Floodplain Development Permit Required
Significant RestrictionsPhoenix City Code § 32B-19; § 32B-12
A development permit must be obtained before construction or development begins, including placement of manufactured homes, within any special flood hazard area established in Section 32B-7. ... Any person found guilty of violating any provision of this chapter shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. Each day that a violation continues shall be a separate offense.
Flood Elevation Requirements
New homes in Phoenix flood zones must sit at least one foot above the base flood elevation, the city's built-in freeboard margin.
Phoenix Flood Elevation: BFE Plus 1-Foot Freeboard
Some RestrictionsPhoenix City Code §§ 32B-5, 32B-20(C)(1)
Regulatory flood elevation (RFE) means an elevation one foot above the base flood elevation for a watercourse. ... Residential construction, new or substantial improvement, must have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to or above the regulatory flood elevation.
Looking for Maricopa County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Phoenix city rules.
Environmental Rules in Maricopa County →