Catoosa County, GA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Impervious trigger
- 5,000 sq ft or 1 acre disturbed
- Civil penalty
- Up to $1,000 per day
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 60 days jail
- Bond amount
- Construction cost plus 25%
- Design storm standard
- 100-year storm safely conveyed
- Enforcing office
- Stormwater Management Department
Summary
New development or redevelopment in unincorporated Catoosa County that creates 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface, or disturbs an acre or more, must meet the county's post-development stormwater management standards under UDC Section 3.07.00. A Stormwater Management Department permit, engineered stormwater plan and, where required, a performance bond are required before construction begins.
1)New development that involves the creation of 5,000 square feet or more of impervious cover, or that involves other land development activities of one acre or more; ... the Catoosa County Stormwater Management Department ... may impose a penalty not to exceed $1,000.00 (depending on the severity of the violation) for each day the violation remains unremedied after receipt of the notice of violation.
Full Breakdown
Section 3.07.02.B sets the applicability trigger: any new development creating 5,000 square feet or more of impervious cover, any redevelopment adding or replacing that much impervious area, any land-disturbing activity of one acre or more, or any site the Stormwater Management Director designates a "hotspot" land use falls under the Section. Individual single-family or duplex lots outside a subdivision, additions to existing single-family or duplex homes, and agricultural or silvicultural activity in zoned agricultural areas are exempt under Section 3.07.02.C. Everyone else must file a permit application with the Catoosa County Stormwater Management Department, backed by a stormwater management plan stamped by a Georgia-licensed professional engineer, and, at the Department's discretion, a performance bond equal to the estimated construction cost plus 25 percent under Section 3.07.03.E.
The plan itself has to satisfy four performance criteria in Section 3.07.04: water-quality treatment of the site's runoff volume, 24-hour extended detention of the 1-year storm for stream channel protection, attenuation of the 25-year storm for overbank flood protection, and safe conveyance of the 100-year storm for extreme flood protection. Section 3.07.05 requires periodic construction inspections and as-built certification from a professional engineer before a certificate of occupancy issues. Once built, facilities subject to an inspection and maintenance agreement face ongoing inspection under Section 3.07.06, and the Department can step in and perform repairs itself, billing the owner, after 30 days' written notice of a maintenance failure (24 hours if the failure is an immediate danger).
Violations & Fines
Section 3.07.07 lets the Stormwater Management Department issue a stop-work order, withhold a certificate of occupancy, or suspend or revoke the development permit for noncompliance. If the violation isn't cured after notice, the county can impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day, and intentional or flagrant violations can be prosecuted in Magistrate Court for a fine of up to $1,000, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day counted separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Catoosa County require a stormwater management permit?
What design storms must a Catoosa County stormwater plan handle?
What can the county do if my stormwater facility isn't maintained?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Catoosa County
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