Racine County, WI Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Who builds it
- The subdivider, at plat approval
- Design standard
- Sized to design storm flow
- Included facilities
- Curbs, catch basins, storm sewers, basins
- Cost
- Subdivider pays; connection fee if oversized
Summary
New subdivisions in Racine County must build stormwater drainage facilities sized to hydraulically handle the design flow, including curbs, catch basins, storm sewers, ditches, and detention or settling basins.
The subdivider shall construct stormwater drainage facilities adequate to serve the subdivision, which may include curbs and gutters, catch basins and inlets, storm sewers, road ditches, open channels, water retention structures or detention basins and settling basins. All such facilities shall be of adequate size and grade to hydraulically accommodate the design volumes of flow as required by the local municipality.
(1) Drainage tiles. The subdivider shall reconstruct, replace or reroute all drainage tiles encountered or damaged during subdivision construction to provide equal or better drainage and provide a permanent record of such reconstruction, replacement, or rerouting to the local municipality.
(2) Road ditches. Road ditches shall be shaped, then seeded and covered with a mulch or erosion control netting and/or sodded as grass waterways. Where the velocity of flow is in excess of four (4) feet per second, the road ditches shall be sodded. Where the velocity of flow is in excess of six (6) feet per second, the subdivider shall install paved inverts or check dams, flumes, other energy dissipating devices or other acceptable erosion control devices.
(3) Shoreland drainage facilities.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
The county's subdivision ordinance requires the subdivider to construct stormwater drainage facilities adequate to serve the subdivision, drawing from a defined toolkit: curbs and gutters, catch basins and inlets, storm sewers, road ditches, open channels, water retention structures, detention basins, and settling basins. Every facility has to be sized and graded to hydraulically accommodate the design volumes of flow set by the local municipality. The subdivider generally bears the installation cost, with a prorated connection fee owed when a larger system also serves drainage areas outside the plat.
Violations & Fines
A plat lacking adequate stormwater facilities doesn't get final approval from the local municipality or county; the subdivider's agreement also ties bonding and inspection sign-off to completed drainage work before acceptance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Racine County require stormwater facilities on every parcel?
Who pays for stormwater infrastructure in a new subdivision?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Racine County
Compare Racine County to another location·View the Wisconsin environmental rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.