Putnam County, FL Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Chapter 14 of the Putnam County Code sets drainage standards administered by the county Public Works Director under Board of County Commissioners oversight. Section 14-24 requires a permit before installing or altering drainage structures, opening new drainage channels or modifying a drainage basin's characteristics, and the county withholds every other construction permit for the site until the drainage permit's terms are met. The permit is waived only for a single-family residence or duplex that is not part of a larger development, or for a project under five acres with less than 8,000 square feet of impervious surface per acre that does not increase or channelize the stormwater leaving the site.

Applicants pay an inspection fee set by the Board of County Commissioners and must submit a drainage map showing basin boundaries and acreage, plus drainage data, hydraulic calculations and cross-sectional design plans for the proposed structure or canal, all subject to the Public Works Director's approval. Section 14-25 sets the design flood frequency the finished drainage system or project must handle, keyed to whether the drainage is a major waterway or a minor one, and Section 14-21 gives the Public Works Director the right to enter property during reasonable hours to inspect drainage structures under construction or already built.

Section 14-23 confirms a property owner may build drainage facilities on their own land but still needs the same permit, inspection and fee as any other applicant under this article.