Cobb County, GA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Cobb County land disturbance
- Turbidity limit (warm-water)
- 25 NTU above baseline
- Turbidity limit (trout waters)
- 10 NTU above baseline
- Governing standard
- Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control in Georgia
Summary
Cobb County requires best management practices on all land-disturbing activity in the unincorporated area, and treats stormwater discharge that raises receiving-water turbidity above set limits as a separate daily violation.
A discharge of stormwater runoff from disturbed areas where best management practices have not been properly designed, installed and maintained shall constitute a separate violation of any land disturbing permit issued by Cobb County pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 12-5-30(f), the Georgia Water Quality Control Act, for each day on which such discharge results in the turbidity of receiving waters being increased by more than 25 nephelometric turbidity units for waters supporting warm water fisheries or by more than ten nephelometric turbidity units for waters classified as trout waters.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).
Full Breakdown
Under Code § 50-75(b), any land disturbance not exempted under § 50-74 must apply erosion and sedimentation control best management practices meeting the Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control in Georgia. A discharge from an inadequately designed, installed, or maintained BMP is a separate violation for each day it raises receiving-water turbidity above 25 nephelometric turbidity units in warm-water fisheries, or above 10 NTU in trout waters, enforced under the county's NPDES general permit and O.C.G.A. § 12-5-30(f).
Violations & Fines
Each day of noncompliant discharge is a separate violation of the land disturbing permit; Code § 50-78 sets penalties, and BMP failure can trigger stop-work orders and permit revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cobb County require erosion control on construction sites?
What turbidity level violates Cobb County's erosion rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
Compare Cobb County to another location·View the Georgia environmental rules overview
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