Macon-Bibb County, GA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Section 23-2 of the Macon-Bibb County Code hands stormwater management authority to the Macon Water Authority, which operates the system county-wide under an Intergovernmental Agreement for Stormwater Management dated July 31, 2019. The core prohibition sits in Section 23-13: no person may throw, drain, discharge, or cause to be discharged into the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) or watercourses any pollutants that cause or contribute to a violation of water quality standards, and any illegal discharge to the storm drain system is banned outright, subject to listed exceptions like potable water line flushing, air conditioning condensation, and permitted NPDES discharges.

Section 23-14 separately bans illicit physical connections to the MS4, including sewage lines tied into storm drains, whether the connection was made recently or decades ago. Property owners get their own duty under Section 23-21: anyone owning land through which a watercourse passes must keep that portion of the watercourse free of trash, debris, excessive vegetation, and other obstacles that would pollute or block the flow of water, and must maintain any private structures in or near the watercourse so they don't become a hazard.

The Authority enforces the chapter through inspections authorized under Section 23-18, which lets its staff enter property at reasonable times, with notice except in emergencies, and even obtain an inspection warrant from magistrate or state court if access is refused. Enforcement starts with a written notice of violation under Section 23-52, giving the responsible party a chance to correct the problem, typically at least ten days, before penalties in Section 23-53 kick in.