James City County, VA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

15:27 of the Code of Virginia and aims to protect water quality and quantity from unmanaged stormwater and erosion. Section 8-3 designates the county as the VESMP authority and names the Director of the Stormwater and Resource Protection Division as its administrator. Under section 8-5, anyone conducting a land-disturbing activity must submit a soil erosion control and stormwater management (ESM) plan, name an individual holding a Responsible Land Disturber certificate, and obtain land-disturbance approval before starting work; the county must post a performance surety requirement before issuing that approval.

Section 8-6 gives the county 15 days to check an application for completeness and 60 days after that to act, with 45 days to act on a resubmitted denial. Section 8-9 requires the stormwater management plan to identify discharge points, drainage areas, proposed facilities, hydrologic computations, and site maps showing floodplains, wetlands, and RPAs, with final calculations sealed by a Virginia-licensed professional. Once construction starts, section 8-15 requires the county to inspect active sites either every two weeks and within 48 hours of any runoff-producing storm, or under a department-approved alternative program, and permanent stormwater facilities must be inspected at least once every five years after completion.

Long-term maintenance obligations for permanent facilities are recorded against the land under section 8-14, running with the property and binding future owners. Fees for plan review, inspection, and general permit coverage are set in Appendix A under section 8-21, and appeals from administrator decisions go to the board of supervisors under section 8-16 before the circuit court under section 8-17.