Grading and drainage on Noblesville development sites is regulated by Chapter 52 of the Noblesville City Code (Stormwater Management), the Noblesville Stormwater Technical Standards Manual, and the IDEM Construction Stormwater General Permit (CSGP). Post-construction stormwater quality measures and site drainage are reviewed by City Engineering before issuance of a building permit. Indiana HEA 1037 (effective May 1, 2025, codified at IC 36-1-3-14) limits local construction stormwater rules to no more than the IDEM CSGP requires.
Grading and drainage controls in Noblesville sit at the intersection of Chapter 52 (Stormwater Management) of the Noblesville City Code, the Noblesville Stormwater Technical Standards Manual, the Hamilton County Drainage Code under IC 36-9-27 (the Indiana drainage statute, which governs regulated drains administered by the Hamilton County Surveyor and the County Drainage Board), and the IDEM Construction Stormwater General Permit (CSGP). Site plans for grading, drainage, and post-construction BMP design must be submitted to the City Engineering Department with stormwater management plans and (for sites greater than or equal to one acre) a SWPPP under the CSGP. Noblesville Engineering reviews drainage to confirm that on-site detention does not increase peak discharge to downstream properties — particularly important given that nearly every Noblesville site drains to the White River or its tributaries. Post-construction BMPs (wet ponds, dry detention basins, bioretention, etc.) must follow the Indiana Storm Water Quality Manual and the local Noblesville Standards Manual; ongoing maintenance is the responsibility of the property owner and is subject to City inspection. Where a project affects a county-regulated drain, the property owner must also coordinate with the Hamilton County Surveyor under IC 36-9-27. Indiana HEA 1037 (effective May 1, 2025, codified at IC 36-1-3-14) provides that an MS4 ordinance cannot be more stringent than IDEM's Construction Stormwater General Permit; Noblesville reads Chapter 52 accordingly. The MS4 Coordinator is Mykel Overby at (317) 776-6330.
Failing to install required stormwater BMPs or to follow the approved grading and drainage plan violates Chapter 52 and the Noblesville Stormwater Technical Standards Manual. Enforcement remedies include Stop Work orders, Notices of Violation, denial or revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy, civil penalties under Chapter 52 enforcement provisions, and required restoration at the violator's expense. Failing to maintain a post-construction BMP can be referred to IDEM under the MS4 General Permit (327 IAC 15-13). Concentrated runoff that floods or undermines a neighbor's property can expose the owner to nuisance liability under Indiana common law (Argyelan v. Haviland line of cases on the modified common-enemy doctrine). Unauthorized alteration of a county-regulated drain violates IC 36-9-27 and can trigger Hamilton County Drainage Board enforcement and required restoration.
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