Cumberland County, ME Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Cumberland County, Maine has no codified subject-matter ordinances and does not issue land-use permits. Stormwater discharges from development sites are regulated at the state level by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection under 38 MRS § 420-D (Storm Water Management), which requires a DEP permit for any project with one acre or more of disturbed area within an 'organized area' of the State. DEP standards address phosphorus, nitrates, and suspended solids for projects with three acres or less of impervious surface and prescribe either vegetative or structural BMPs. DEP review timelines are 45 days for vegetative solutions and 90 days for structural measures. Substantive site-by-site stormwater regulation in Cumberland County is delivered through municipal codes: Portland Ch. 32 Art. III (post-construction stormwater), South Portland Ch. 25 (stormwater), and similar local ordinances in Westbrook, Scarborough, and other regulated MS4 communities under the Maine DEP-issued MS4 general permit. Contact the code office of the city or town where the property is located.