Norfolk, VA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Norfolk Code § 41.1-4
- Penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor, § 41.1-2
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Public Works, § 41.1-3
- Residential stormwater fee
- $0.452/day plus $1/month
- Fee escalator
- 4% annual increase, § 41.1-23
- Max partial fee waiver
- 60% for qualifying BMPs
Summary
Norfolk bans dumping filth, construction debris, gasoline, antifreeze, industrial wash water or even chlorinated pool water into any storm drain, ditch or gutter under Code § 41.1-4. The Department of Public Works enforces the rule, and every violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor, with each day of contamination charged as a separate offense.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to put, throw, place or deposit, or allow to be put, thrown, placed or deposited, any filth, animal or vegetable matter, chips, compost, construction debris, shavings, or any other substance or pollutant whether solid or liquid in the stormwater system or place or dispose of such material or substance in an area which drains into the stormwater system.(b)It shall be unlawful for any person to pour or discharge, or to permit to be poured or discharged, or to deposit, so that the same may be discharged, any gasoline, oil waste, antifreeze, or other automotive, motor or equipment fluids into the stormwater system.(c)It shall be unlawful for any commercial, industrial, or manufacturing entity to discharge process water, wash water, or unpermitted discharge into the stormwater system.(d)It shall be unlawful for any person to throw, place or deposit, or cause to be thrown, placed or deposited, in any gutter, ditch, storm drain or other drainage area in the city, anything that impedes or interferes with the free flow of stormwater therein.(e)It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge chlorinated swimming pool water into the stormwater system.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 166).
Full Breakdown
1-4 of the stormwater management code lists five specific bans: no filth, animal or vegetable matter, construction debris or shavings in the stormwater system; no gasoline, oil waste, antifreeze or other automotive fluids poured into it; no commercial, industrial or manufacturing discharge of process or wash water without a permit; nothing that impedes the free flow of water in a gutter, ditch or storm drain; and no discharge of chlorinated swimming pool water. 1-5). 1-23. Owners who install a qualifying stormwater facility, such as a bioswale, rain garden or green roof, can apply for a partial fee waiver capped at 60 percent of the pre-installation fee, while government-owned rights-of-way holding an MS4 discharge permit get a full waiver.
Anyone disturbing land for construction must also pay a Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program permit fee ranging from $209 for a small single-family lot to $14,300 for sites over 100 acres, remitted in part to the state Department of Environmental Quality.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 41.1, including the pollution ban in § 41.1-4, is a Class 1 misdemeanor under § 41.1-2. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense, and a judge hearing the case may also order the responsible person or property owner to correct the violation, with each day of default in making that correction charged as its own separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can't I put down a storm drain in Norfolk?
What's the penalty for polluting Norfolk's stormwater system?
Can I get a reduction on Norfolk's stormwater fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk
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