Environmental Rules in Reading, PA (2026)
2 verified environmental rules for Reading, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Reading regulates stormwater under Code Chapter 505 (Stormwater Management), most recently amended by Ord. 28-2021 (4-12-2021). The ordinance implements Pennsylvania's Storm Water Management Act (Act 167 of 1978, 32 P.S. §§ 680.1 - 680.17) and the NPDES MS4 framework at 25 Pa. Code Ch. 92a. New development must submit a drainage plan, prioritize infiltration-based BMPs, and protect stream buffers along perennial and intermittent waterways in the Schuylkill River and Tulpehocken Creek watersheds.
Reading Stormwater Management - Chapter 505
Heavy RestrictionsFlood Zones
Reading regulates development in FEMA-mapped flood hazard areas through the Floodplain Overlay Zone in Zoning Code Article XVIII (§§ 600-1801 to 600-1830). The City has adopted FEMA's Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Maps dated July 3, 2012 (and subsequent revisions) per § 600-1817. Reading carries significant flood risk along the Schuylkill River and Tulpehocken Creek, and any construction, fill, or substantial improvement in a Special Flood Hazard Area requires a floodplain zoning permit from the Floodplain Administrator under § 600-1809.
Reading Floodplain Overlay Zone - Article XVIII
Heavy RestrictionsLooking for Berks County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Reading city rules.
Environmental Rules in Berks County →