Fort Collins, CO Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing article
- Chapter 26, Article VII, §§ 26-491–26-500
- Core discharge rule
- § 26-498, Water quality control
- Enforcement
- Utilities Executive Director
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, § 1-15 penalty schedule
- Separate offense
- Each day violation continues
- Design standard
- Stormwater Criteria Manual, Dec. 2018 (§ 26-500)
Summary
Fort Collins bans dumping pollutants or contaminated water into streets, watercourses or the storm drainage system under City Code § 26-498. The Utilities Executive Director enforces water quality standards on the stormwater utility created by Article VII of Chapter 26, with violations charged as misdemeanors under § 26-499.
The City storm drainage facilities are intended to be used only for the purpose of collecting water deposited as a result of meteorological precipitation. No person shall make or maintain at any time a connection to a storm drainage facility to convey flows other than storm drainage flows and uncontaminated groundwater flows. Except where suitable treatment has been provided, no person shall discharge any pollutant or contaminated water into or upon any:(1)Public street, highway or other right-of-way;(2)Watercourse (whether natural or manmade);(3)Storm drainage facility; or(4)Other public or private property within the City or in an area under the jurisdiction of the City if there is a significant potential for migration of such pollutant or contaminated water from such property to a storm drainage facility.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 155 | Transitional Land Use Code (for project before May 17, 2024): Supplement 61 | Traffic Code: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
Article VII of the Utilities chapter (§§ 26-491 to 26-500) sets up Fort Collins' stormwater utility as a City-owned enterprise administered by the Utilities Executive Director, with the Water Board created in § 2-436 assisting in administration under § 26-495. The operative discharge rule, § 26-498 Water quality control, states that City storm drainage facilities are 'intended to be used only for the purpose of collecting water deposited as a result of meteorological precipitation,' and bars any connection carrying flows other than storm drainage and uncontaminated groundwater.
Except where 'suitable treatment' under a Colorado Discharge Permit System (CDPS) permit has been provided, no person may discharge any pollutant or contaminated water onto a public right-of-way, into a watercourse, into a storm drainage facility, or onto other property with a significant potential for the pollutant to migrate into a storm drainage facility. Subsection (b) separately bars maintaining property conditions that create a significant potential for such migration, and subsection (c) requires owners to maintain any stormwater quality improvements tied to their development or use of property.
The Utilities Executive Director can impose effluent limits stricter than CDPS, add pollutant parameters, require sampling on a set schedule, and refuse or restrict a discharge to protect public health, safety, welfare or the storm drainage system. Design and construction standards, including best management practices, come from the Fort Collins Stormwater Criteria Manual (dated December 2018), adopted by reference in § 26-500 and kept on file with the City Clerk. Section 26-497 requires the City to solicit Larimer County's cooperation on drainage facilities and share basin maps where systems cross the City line.
Section 26-494 clarifies the utility's fees and facilities do not guarantee properties will stay free of flooding and does not reduce an owner's need for flood insurance.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Article VII, including the § 26-498 discharge and connection bans, is a criminal misdemeanor under § 26-499, punishable per the general penalty schedule in § 1-15. Each day a prohibited condition continues is charged as a separate offense, so an uncorrected illegal connection or ongoing discharge can compound daily until it is fixed or treated under a CDPS-compliant plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I connect a sump pump or foundation drain to the City storm system?
Who enforces stormwater violations in Fort Collins?
What happens if I discharge pollutants into a City storm drain?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Collins
Compare Fort Collins to another location·View the Colorado environmental rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Larimer County handle stormwater management.