South Fulton, GA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

South Fulton's stormwater rules are codified at Title 14, Chapter 4 of the City Code as the 'Stormwater Management Ordinance of the City of South Fulton, Georgia,' adopted by Ordinance No. 2018-050 on November 27, 2018. The chapter rests on the city's home rule authority under Ga. art. IX, § II and on the federal Clean Water Act, 33 USC 1251 et seq. Under Sec. 14-4022, every subdivider or developer must submit a stormwater concept plan to the stormwater management section of the Department of Public Works at the time of the initial preliminary plat submittal, showing the proposed location of storage facilities and detention or retention ponds.

Once the concept plan is approved, and before any building or land-disturbance permit is issued, the developer must submit a full stormwater management plan to the development services department detailing how post-development runoff will be controlled. Sec. 14-4040 makes it unlawful for any person or company to throw, drain, run or otherwise discharge anything other than stormwater into the city's storm sewer system, streets, or rights-of-way; the director of public works may exempt limited categories such as water line flushing, firefighting flows, and lawn watering.

Sec. 14-4041 separately bars connecting any pipe or conveyance to the city's storm sewer system that carries non-stormwater discharge. Anyone responsible for an accidental discharge must notify the Department of Public Works within five days and take immediate steps to stop it and prevent recurrence. Design and review criteria are set out in the city's Stormwater Management Design and Criteria Manual, available from the public works department.