Acworth, GA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- 1 acre disturbed or 5,000 sq ft impervious cover
- Runoff retention standard
- Retain first 1.0 inch of rainfall on-site
- Water-quality fallback
- Remove 80% of TSS from 1.2-inch storm
- Performance bond
- 110% of construction cost required before LDA
- Administering department
- Acworth Public Works Department
- Max daily penalty
- $1,000 per day unremedied violation
Summary
Any Acworth land-development project disturbing an acre or adding 5,000 square feet of impervious cover needs a public works stormwater permit before grading starts, and the design must retain the site's first inch of rainfall on-site through runoff-reduction measures under the city's post-development standards.
No owner or developer shall perform any land development activities without first meeting the requirements of this article or any applicable ordinances prior to commencing the proposed activity. ... (A)Runoff reduction. The stormwater management system shall be designed to retain the first 1.0 inch of rainfall on the site using runoff reduction methods, to the maximum extent practicable.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Article IV of Chapter 50, rewritten by Ord. No. " A single-family or duplex lot outside a subdivision, and additions to an existing single-family or duplex home, are exempt. The permit package must include a stormwater concept plan reviewed at a pre-application consultation meeting, a full stormwater management plan stamped by a Georgia-licensed professional engineer, and, where the city requires long-term upkeep, a recorded inspection and maintenance agreement binding future owners. 2-inch storm, only where runoff reduction is shown infeasible. Stream-channel protection layers on top of that: 24-hour extended detention of the one-year storm, plus peak-discharge control out to the 25-year, 24-hour storm for overbank flooding and safe conveyance of the 100-year storm for extreme-flood protection. Performance bonds equal to 110 percent of construction cost secure completion before the city releases a project.
Violations & Fines
Section 50-117 gives the city the same enforcement ladder as its floodplain article: written notice of violation, then a stop-work order, withheld certificate of occupancy, or permit suspension, revocation, or modification, and if the applicant still hasn't cured the deficiency, a civil penalty up to $1,000 per day the violation continues, plus criminal prosecution for intentional or flagrant violations carrying a fine up to $1,000 or up to 60 days in jail, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every construction project in Acworth need a stormwater permit?
What design standard does my engineer have to meet?
Who reviews and approves the stormwater plan?
What if my stormwater facility isn't maintained after construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Acworth
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