Osceola County, FL Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Article VIII of Chapter 9 governs the stormwater system county-wide: the network of ditches, curbs, catch basins, culverts and storm drains the county owns and operates to carry rainwater runoff, defined at Sec. 9-192 as excluding anything used to carry sewage. Sec. 9-193(a) prohibits discharging anything but stormwater into that system, and lists twelve specific banned categories: petroleum products such as oil, gasoline and grease; solid waste or sanitary sewage; fertilizers and pesticides; paints, solvents and degreasers; concrete slurry; laundry wastes; antifreeze and other automotive fluids; soil; yard waste such as leaves and branches; construction materials; toxic or poisonous solids or liquids; and any solids capable of clogging the system.

Sec. 9-193(b) exempts twenty categories that do not violate water-quality standards, including irrigation water, air-conditioning condensate, footing drains, dechlorinated pool water and NPDES-permitted discharges. Sec. 9-194 separately bans building, using or maintaining any illicit connection, meaning any pipe or drain, including indoor drains and sinks, that routes non-stormwater into the county system without documented approval. Sec. 9-195 requires anyone who discovers an illicit discharge or connection to report it to the county immediately. This article is distinct from Article IX's stormwater assessment program, which funds the county's MS4 permit compliance and capital drainage facilities through an annual per-parcel assessment rather than regulating what property owners may discharge.