Harford County, MD Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Section 214-27A states plainly that "no person shall develop any land for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional or governmental uses without having provided stormwater management measures that control or manage runoff," and requires compliance with the parallel stormwater standards in the zoning code, Chapter 267, with the stricter of the two governing any conflict. The article's purpose section, Section 214-24, charges the Department of Public Works with coordinating and enforcing the program and directs it to use environmental site design "to the maximum extent practicable" so post-development runoff mimics predevelopment conditions and reduces stream erosion, sedimentation and local flooding.

Section 214-27B carves out four exemptions: agricultural land-management practices, additions or modifications to existing single-family detached homes meeting the code's stated condition, developments disturbing 5,000 square feet or less of land, and activities the state separately regulates for stormwater; Subsection C allows the small-disturbance and residential-addition exemptions to stack as long as combined disturbance still stays at or under 5,000 square feet. Section 214-25 blocks final plat approval until a project is exempted, granted a waiver, tied to an approved off-site facility, or has submitted stormwater drawings and calculations satisfying the Department, and Section 214-28 allows quantitative or qualitative control waivers for projects with tidal discharges, infeasible site conditions, or underground-utility work that does not change drainage patterns.

An aggrieved applicant has 10 days from the Department's decision to file a written appeal with the Director of Administration under Section 214-45. The program took effect May 4, 2010, per Section 214-48B, with transitional administrative waivers available to projects that already had preliminary approval.