Prince William County, VA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

The county's stormwater management system, established at Sec. 2-2, covers every stormwater easement, pipe, retention basin, stream, and pond the county regulates or maintains, run to comply with the federal Clean Water Act's NPDES permit program. Article II bars unlawful discharges: Sec. 1 makes it a violation to discharge wastes, trash, grass clippings, yard waste, animal carcasses, gasoline, oil, antifreeze, or unpermitted process/wash water into the stormwater system, or to throw or place anything in a gutter, ditch or storm drain that impedes stormwater flow.

Chlorinated pool water must have the chlorine dissipated before discharge. Exempted discharges include water line flushing, landscape irrigation, air conditioning condensation, dechlorinated pool water, and residential car washing, unless the director finds one of those is carrying pollutants. The director of public works inspects and monitors discharges under Sec. 2 and can order corrections under Sec. 3; each day of noncompliance is a separate violation. Article III funds the program: every developed property pays a monthly stormwater management fee under Sec. 2-8, based on a 'base unit' of 2,059 square feet of impervious area (Sec.

2-3), with single-family homes billed a full base rate per dwelling and townhouses, condo-townhouses and apartments billed 75 percent of the base rate. Nonresidential owners who provide on-site stormwater management to specified flood-protection standards can apply to the director for fee adjustments of up to 50 percent combined (Sec. 2-10). Undeveloped property and government-maintained parcels are exempt. ), governs stormwater requirements tied to land-disturbing activity. Towns inside the county, per Sec. 2-21(b), may opt in to this stormwater code but are not required to.