Pompano Beach, FL Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Discharge permission
- Written approval from City Engineering Dept
- Non-stormwater discharges
- Prohibited except valid NPDES permit
- Drainage-alteration permit fee
- 5% of certified project cost
- FY 2025 monthly ERU fee
- $6.46
- FY 2029 monthly ERU fee
- $9.29
- Unpaid fees
- City lien, second only to tax liens
Summary
Pompano Beach Code § 53.13 bars discharging anything into the city's stormwater system without written permission from the City Engineering Department, bars non-stormwater discharges outright, and bars blocking or altering any drainage course, swale, canal or ditch without city and Drainage District authorization. Every developed property also pays a monthly Stormwater Utility fee, $6.46 per equivalent residential unit for FY 2025.
(1) Any discharge into the stormwater system of the city or drainage district without written permission from the City Engineering Department and the appropriate Drainage District.
(2) Any discharge into the stormwater system of the City or Drainage District in violation of any city, federal, state, county, municipal or other governmental law, regulation or permit is prohibited, except those discharges authorized by a valid NPDES permit.
(3) Any discharge to the stormwater system that is not composed entirely of stormwater is prohibited, except as authorized by a valid NPDES permit.
(4) Blocking, filling, altering or obstructing any drainage course, swale, canal, ditch or any type of stormwater management facility in a manner which alters the intended use of the facility ... is strictly prohibited unless specifically authorized by the city and the appropriate Drainage Districts.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-122: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through 2026-35, passed 7-29-26).
Full Breakdown
0893 and funds it through fees tied to a property's impervious surface. 13(A) lists the prohibited acts: unauthorized discharges into the stormwater system or a drainage district, discharges that violate any federal, state or local law or permit (except a valid NPDES permit), non-stormwater discharges, and blocking, filling or obstructing any drainage facility, whether on public right-of-way, easement or private property. Failure to maintain a stormwater facility so it operates as designed is also a violation, and the property owner can be required to rebuild it.
14 separately requires a permit before anyone constructs, enlarges, alters, repairs, relocates or demolishes a storm sewer, natural watercourse or other drainage facility, with an administrative fee equal to 5% of the certified cost of the drainage work. 29 through FY 2029. 11 folds stormwater billing into the same collections process as other city utilities: nonpayment can trigger termination of all utility services on the account, and the city holds a lien, second only to tax liens, for delinquent stormwater charges under Florida General Law.
Violations & Fines
The City Engineer or Building Official can issue an immediate cease-and-desist order, oral if followed promptly by written notice, and failure to comply is a separate violation for each day it continues under § 53.13(B). Anyone who discharges pollutants or fails to correct a prohibited condition on request must reimburse the city for testing, sampling, removal and disposal costs plus fines and legal fees under § 53.13(C), on top of the lien remedy for unpaid stormwater bills in § 53.11.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to alter a drainage swale in Pompano Beach?
What is Pompano Beach's current stormwater utility fee?
Can I discharge pool or irrigation runoff into the storm drain?
What happens if I don't pay my stormwater bill?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pompano Beach
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle stormwater management.