Jackson County, MS Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance Article 11, §§ 11.1-11.11
- Enforcing official
- County Administrator, Jackson County Planning Dept.
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail
- Spill reporting deadline
- 24 hours for hazardous releases
- Appeal deadline
- 15 days to County Administrator
- Record retention
- 3 years for discharge records
Summary
Jackson County regulates stormwater pollution countywide under Article 11 of its Zoning Ordinance. Commercial and industrial operators must install Best Management Practices at their own expense to keep pollutants out of the County Drainage System, and any parcel that becomes a source of an illicit discharge can be ordered to add more BMPs. The County Administrator enforces the rule, and violations are misdemeanors.
The Board of Supervisors will adopt requirements identifying Best Management Practices for any activity, operation, or facility which may cause or contribute to pollution or contamination of Stormwater, the County Drainage System, or waters of the U.S. The owners or operators of commercial or industrial establishments shall provide, at their own expense, reasonable protection from accidental discharge of prohibited materials or other wastes into the County Drainage System through the use of these structural and non-structural BMPs. Further, any person responsible for a parcel, which is, or may be, the source of an Illicit Discharge, may be required to implement, at said person’s expense, additional structural and non-structural BMP’s to prevent the further discharge of Pollutants to the County Drainage System.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
5 of the Jackson County Zoning Ordinance requires the Board of Supervisors to adopt Best Management Practices (BMPs) for any activity that may pollute stormwater, the County Drainage System, or waters of the United States. Owners or operators of commercial or industrial establishments must provide structural and non-structural BMPs at their own expense, and compliance with a valid NPDES permit for industrial stormwater discharge is deemed compliance with the section. Anyone whose land becomes a source of an Illicit Discharge can be ordered to add further BMPs, often through a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).
6 separately requires anyone whose property contains a watercourse to keep it free of trash, debris and excessive vegetation and to maintain any private structures in or near it so they do not become a hazard. the next business day, with written confirmation mailed within three business days and an on-site record kept for at least three years. 8, a notice of violation must state the violator's name and address, the nature of the violation, required remedial steps and a compliance deadline; the County Administrator can require a stop-work order and, in an immediate-danger case, enter the property without notice to abate the problem and bill the owner.
9 makes violations a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and 90 days in the county jail, and also allows civil recovery of the County's attorneys' fees, injunctions, and treatment of the condition as a public nuisance.
Violations & Fines
A stormwater violation under Section 11.9 is a misdemeanor: conviction carries a fine up to $1,000, up to 90 days in the county jail, or both. The County can also sue in civil court to recover cleanup costs and attorneys' fees, seek an injunction, or declare the condition a public nuisance. If the County abates a hazard itself, the cost becomes a lien on the property. Appeals go to the County Administrator within 15 days, per Section 11.10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to install stormwater Best Management Practices in Jackson County?
How fast do I have to report a stormwater spill?
What happens if I do not fix a stormwater violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson County
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