Dade City, FL Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

3(A) states the purpose of the city's stormwater management standards directly: to minimize flooding, minimize erosion and sedimentation, protect and enhance water resources, and preserve natural features where possible. 3(B) layers state and regional review on top of the local standard, requiring compliance with applicable Florida and SWFWMD regulations in addition to the LDRs, with the strictest applicable standard controlling whenever the two diverge. 3(C) covers agricultural clearing that does not obstruct surface water, self-contained agricultural drainage systems, and private residences or agricultural buildings where total impervious area stays under 10,000 square feet and the site does not drain into a surface water body, canal, stream, or sinkhole; even exempt sites adjacent to or draining into a waterway still have to route runoff through a grassed swale or comparable conveyance that percolates 80 percent of the runoff from a three-year, one-hour design storm within 72 hours.

4(A) sets the core performance standard: development must be constructed and maintained so post-development runoff rates and pollutant loads never exceed pre-development conditions, with the first half-inch of runoff treated in an off-line retention system or another SWFWMD-approved best management practice. 4(H) requires every system not dedicated to the city to be operated and maintained long-term by an approved entity, such as a homeowners' association or the developer under a posted maintenance bond covering at least 10 percent of the estimated stormwater improvement costs for a minimum of three years. 4(E) until SWFWMD has certified that the construction plans qualify for permitting.