Environmental Rules in Lehigh County, PA (2026)
4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Lehigh County's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance requires a site drainage plan for every covered subdivision, with runoff controlled to Act 167 release-rate criteria in Appendix B and reviewed by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission engineer. It applies only in the small number of county municipalities that never adopted their own subdivision ordinance.
Stormwater Drainage Rules in Lehigh County, PA
Some RestrictionsLehigh County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (Ord. 2025-167), §§ 461.5, 462.1-462.2
461.5 ... No stormwater runoff or natural drainage shall be so diverted as to overload existing drainage systems, or create flooding or the need for additional drainage structures on other private properties or public lands, without approved provisions being made by the developer for properly handling such conditions. ... 462.1 A site drainage plan for the proposed subdivision tract shall be pr...
Erosion Control
Lehigh County's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance bars earth-moving or soil disturbance on covered projects until an erosion and sedimentation control plan is developed, kept on site through final stabilization, and built to PADEP's control manual. An earth-moving permit application goes to the Lehigh County Conservation District, and the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) can require plan review even when no permit is needed.
Erosion & Sediment Control in Lehigh County, PA
Some RestrictionsLehigh County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (Ord. 2025-167), § 491.1-491.5
491.1 All earth-moving activities shall be conducted in such a way as to prevent accelerated erosion and the resulting sedimentation. 491.2 No earth-moving or soil disturbance may take place until an erosion and sedimentation control plan has been developed in accordance with Chapter 102, Erosion Control, P.L. 1987. Such a plan is to be maintained on the construction site until all disturbed ar...
Flood Zones
Lehigh County's Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance bans placing new buildings or structures inside the 100-year flood plain on covered sites, with a narrow exception for substantially improving an existing building or redeveloping a formerly developed lot in the floodway fringe. The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission can also require recorded deed restrictions on floodplain land.
Floodplain Development Rules in Lehigh County, PA
Significant RestrictionsLehigh County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (Ord. 2025-167), § 492.22-492.24
492.22 No new buildings or structures shall be placed within the bounds of the 100-year flood plain except as Section 492.23 provides. 492.23 The substantial improvement of an existing building or the redevelopment of a vacant but formerly developed parcel is permissible within the floodway fringe if said development is in accordance with the flood plain provisions of the borough zoning ordinan...
Flood Elevation Requirements
Lehigh County's SALDO ties floodplain design to a Regulatory Flood Elevation drawn from the municipal FEMA flood insurance rate map, or estimated 100-year data where no map exists. Streets can sit no more than one foot below that elevation, and sanitary sewer, water and other utility systems must be floodproofed or elevated up to it.
Flood Elevation Standards in Lehigh County, PA
Some RestrictionsLehigh County Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance (Ord. 2025-167), § 492.21, 492.25-492.29
492.21 The flood elevation map shall be based on the municipal flood insurance rate map (FIRM). When not available, the map shall be based on estimated 100-year flood elevations or estimated areas subject to flooding based on best available data. ... 492.25 The finished elevation of proposed streets shall not be more than the one (1) foot below the Regulatory Flood Elevation. The LVPC may requi...
Environmental Rules by City in Lehigh County
1 cities in Lehigh County have their own environmental rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Lehigh County ordinances
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