Environmental Rules in Bartholomew County, IN (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Bartholomew County, Indiana.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Unincorporated Bartholomew County bans discharging anything but stormwater into its municipal separate storm sewer system, from paint and motor oil to yard waste and sewage, under a chapter written to meet the county's IDEM-issued NPDES MS4 permit. Property owners along watercourses must also keep them clear of trash and erosion hazards. Violators face civil fines up to $1,000 a day plus separate criminal penalties.
Stormwater Discharge Rules in Bartholomew County
Some RestrictionsBartholomew County Code §§ 53.06, 53.99
§ 53.06 DISCHARGE PROHIBITIONS; EXEMPTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS. ... (A) Prohibitions. (1) No person shall discharge or cause to be discharged into the (MS4) waterbodies or watercourses, directly or indirectly, any materials, including, but not limited to, pollutants or water containing any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of applicable water quality standards, other than stormwat...
Erosion Control
Any construction site in unincorporated Bartholomew County that disturbs more than one acre, outside an approved subdivision or site plan, needs MS4 Department site development approval before work starts, under Chapter 155's Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control rules. Violators face a $50-per-day fine, and the county can fix erosion problems itself and bill the owner if a notice of violation goes unresolved.
Bartholomew County Erosion Control Site Permit
Some RestrictionsBartholomew County Code §§ 155.15, 155.99
Site development approval is required from the MS4 Department for major subdivisions; site plan reviews not part of a major subdivision with current site development approval; building permits for sites disturbing more than one acre that are not part of a major subdivision or site plan review with current site development approval. ... Any person, partnership or corporation found to be in viola...
Flood Zones
In unincorporated Bartholomew County, the Plan Commission won't approve a subdivision unless each lot has enough land outside the floodway to fit its permitted use and any required septic system. Lots made up entirely of flood hazard land generally can't be subdivided at all, and any plat covering mapped floodplain must carry a Flood Certificate tied to the Columbus-Bartholomew County Zoning Ordinance's floodplain construction rules.
Bartholomew County Floodplain Subdivision Rules
Some RestrictionsBartholomew County Code § 156.091(E)
(E) Flood hazards. Each lot will contain enough land which is not located in a floodway, as defined by the Zoning Ordinance, to accommodate the permitted use(s) of the property and, if required, an individual subsurface disposal system. In general, lots consisting entirely of land located in a flood hazard area shall not be approved for subdivision, unless there is no property included in the p...
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