Tampa, FL Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Chapter 21, cited internally as the 'City of Tampa Stormwater Management Ordinance' (§ 21-1), regulates earthwork and drainage citywide through the public works department's stormwater management division. Section 21-8 prohibits altering surface or subsurface drainage patterns to the detriment of neighboring properties or public rights-of-way even where the city has already issued a permit for the underlying work. Section 21-9 separately protects the public drainage system itself, barring anyone from introducing trash, leaves, grass clippings, debris, garbage, fill, construction materials, or organic/inorganic pollutants, acids, and petroleum products into it, and it makes a business jointly liable for a second violation by an employee occurring within 12 months after the business received written notice of the first.

A violation of § 21-9(a) is deemed irreparable and irreversible. Before excavating, grading, filling or stockpiling, § 21-27 requires a drainage and earthwork permit from the city, valid for six months (or as long as an associated building permit remains active); the department's technical standards manual, filed with the city clerk under § 21-101, spells out what the application must contain. Skipping the permit doesn't just risk a stop-work order, § 21-48 doubles the permit fee for anyone who starts work first and later seeks authorization, except in a genuine life-or-property emergency, and even then a permit must follow as soon as practicable or the double fee still applies. Borrow pits and mines are outright prohibited without a city-approved development plan and a special excavation permit under § 21-7.