Carroll County, GA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Threshold
- 5,000 sq ft impervious surface or 1 acre disturbed
- Hotspot uses
- Gas stations, industrial sites regulated regardless of size
- Design storms
- 1-yr channel, 25-yr overbank, 100-yr extreme flood
- Runoff reduction
- Retain first 1 inch of rainfall on-site
- Plan stamp
- Requires Georgia-licensed PE or landscape architect
- Coverage
- Applies to unincorporated county's MS4 urbanized area
Summary
Carroll County regulates post-construction stormwater for new development and redevelopment in the unincorporated county's MS4 urbanized area. Projects that add 5,000 square feet of impervious surface or disturb one acre or more must design a stormwater management system meeting the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual, including channel, overbank and extreme flood-protection storm-event standards.
(a)New development that creates or adds 5,000 square feet or greater of new impervious surface area or that involves land disturbing activity of one acre of land or greater; ... (f)Overbank flood protection: Downstream overbank flood protection shall be provided by controlling the post-development peak discharge rate to the pre-development rate for the 25-year, 24-hour storm event.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 38, Article IV of the Carroll County Code sets post-development stormwater standards for the unincorporated county's MS4 urbanized area; incorporated Carrollton, Villa Rica and the county's other cities administer their own stormwater programs. The rules apply to new development adding 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface, redevelopment of the same scale, any land-disturbing activity of one acre or more, and any 'hotspot' commercial or industrial use such as a gas station or vehicle service facility regardless of size, per Section 38-66. Emergency repairs, ADA-access work, utility trench cuts and most agricultural and silviculture activity are exempt under Section 38-67.
Applicants must request a pre-submittal meeting with the county's department of community development before filing formal plans, then submit a stormwater concept plan followed by a full stormwater management plan stamped by a Georgia-licensed professional engineer or landscape architect. Under Section 38-68, the design must retain the first inch of rainfall on-site through runoff reduction wherever feasible, control the one-year 24-hour storm for channel protection, hold the post-development peak discharge to pre-development rates for the 25-year 24-hour storm, and prevent worsened flooding in a 100-year 24-hour event.
Components not accepted for county maintenance require a recorded inspection and maintenance agreement so the system keeps functioning as designed. The chairman of the board of commissioners designates an administrator, currently the department of community development, to implement the article and grant infeasibility determinations for county-built linear transportation projects.
Violations & Fines
A violation of an approved stormwater management plan during construction, or a failure to submit as-built drawings or a final BMP landscaping plan, is treated as a violation of the underlying land-disturbance or building permit under Section 38-75. The county can issue compliance notices, stop-work orders and the same penalties that apply to building and land-disturbance permit violations, including civil fines and permit revocation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size project triggers Carroll County's stormwater rules?
What storm event must a stormwater system be designed to handle?
Does the county's stormwater ordinance apply inside Carrollton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Carroll County
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