Lawton, OK Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Section 19A-1-2-123 places the burden of stormwater control squarely on the developer or property owner, not the city. The rule requires that runoff leaving the property not change the "historic runoff characteristics" of upstream or downstream land and not push the existing municipal storm drainage system beyond the capacity set in the city's Stormwater Drainage Policy. Where only part of a tract is being developed, drainage improvements must still be sized for that portion. Where a site receives water from land that can be developed later, the drainage system must be built for "full development," anticipating the added future flow.

All roofs, paved areas, yards, courts, and courtyards on anything other than one- and two-family homes must drain to an improved storm sewer system or an approved disposal point, and generally not to streets. Developers building privately owned detention systems remain responsible for their construction, operation, and maintenance forever; issuing a building permit does not shift that responsibility to the city. Subsection F allows a twelve-month construction delay for required detention facilities if the developer posts a performance bond or cash escrow equal to 125 percent of the estimated construction cost.

Subsection G requires developers to design, install, and continually maintain erosion and sediment control Best Management Practices and to obtain permits from both the City of Lawton and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality before any construction begins. Development on parcels under one acre that are not part of a larger common plan of development is exempt from the detention requirement entirely, under subsection H.