Charleston, SC Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Triggering disturbance
- ½ acre or more, or smaller near water
- Required document
- Stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP)
- Enforcing agency
- City Department of Stormwater Management
- Recorded requirement
- Permanent maintenance covenant before approval
- Exempt activities
- Forestry, state-regulated mining, most agricultural land use
- Governing sections
- City Code §§ 27-6(b)(5), 27-24, 27-25
Summary
Charleston's stormwater management ordinance directs the city to require erosion and sediment controls on new and redevelopment projects both during and after construction. City Code § 27-6(b)(5) sets that mandate as one of the article's core purposes, and § 27-24 turns it into a permitting requirement: construction disturbing a half acre or more, or smaller sites near a receiving water, must file a construction activity application before land disturbance begins.
It is further the purpose of this article to direct the development and implementation of a stormwater management program (SWMP) and to establish legal authority which authorizes or enables the city at a minimum to: ... (5)Require erosion and sediment controls to protect water quality on all applicable new and re-development projects both during and after construction;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 114 | Zoning: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
§ 27-25 backs the requirement with a flat prohibition; no person may develop or re-develop land, operate an industrial facility, or allow sediment and other pollutants to leave property boundaries with stormwater runoff without complying with the article. A narrow set of activities is carved out under § 27-25(b), including forestry work following South Carolina Forestry Commission best-management practices, mining regulated under the state Mining Act, and most agricultural land use, though even those exempt activities still cannot divert water onto a neighbor's property or skip proper erosion and sediment control best management practices.
Applicants must also record a Covenants for Permanent Maintenance of Stormwater Systems document under § 27-27(e) before an application is approved, binding the property owner to keep erosion and sediment control facilities working for as long as the site is developed. The department of stormwater management enforces compliance through site inspections authorized under § 27-51 and can issue a notice of violation or stop work order under § 27-52 when a site fails to control erosion as approved.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of Article I, including a failure to install or maintain required erosion and sediment controls, is subject to the general penalty in City Code § 1-16 under § 27-55: cumulative civil and criminal remedies that are not mutually exclusive. The director of stormwater management can issue a notice of violation setting a correction deadline, then a stop work order that halts all construction activity, with continued noncompliance carrying criminal fines before the stop order is lifted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Charleston require an erosion control plan for home construction?
What counts as a violation of Charleston's erosion control rules?
Who enforces Charleston's erosion and sediment control requirements?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston
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Erosion Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle erosion control.