Newton County, GA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Division 4 of Chapter 50, the county's post-construction stormwater management rules, applies under Sec. 50-145 to any new development or redevelopment that creates 5,000 square feet or more of impervious cover, involves one acre or more of land-disturbing activity, qualifies as a hotspot land use regardless of size, or is part of a larger common plan of development even if built in phases. Sec. 50-148(a) bars any owner or developer from performing land-disturbing activity without first meeting the division's requirements: a land-disturbance permit application must include a stormwater management plan, an inspection and long-term maintenance agreement, a stormwater tax assessment area designation if applicable, a performance bond if applicable, and the applicable review fees, unless a concept plan is required first under subsection (b).

Larger or more complex projects, residential subdivisions over 50 lots, non-residential sites disturbing ten acres or more, or sites with 50 percent or more impervious coverage, must go through a stormwater concept plan and consultation meeting before design plans are even submitted. The stormwater management plan itself must be prepared and certified by a registered professional engineer, land surveyor, or landscape architect, per Sec. 50-147. Once a facility is built, the inspection and maintenance agreement recorded against the property binds every future owner, and the county's Development Services director can inspect the facility, and, if it falls into disrepair, perform the necessary work and place a lien on the property for the cost, per Sec.

50-151(e). Developers must also post a maintenance bond guaranteeing stormwater control workmanship for two years, or until 75 percent of certificates of occupancy are issued, per Sec. 50-148(f).