Harris County Stormwater Permit Changes – The New Pieces to the Puzzle
Many of us have been caught off guard at some point in our lives when it comes to paperwork, perhaps waiting in line for hours just to find out you’re missing one important document. The realization of having to start over is frustrating, at best, and as it relates to a property’s Stormwater Quality permit, being caught off guard would be inconvenient and could be costly. Knowing in advance what is needed need can save valuable time, resources, and money.
As of September 1, 2016, Harris County has implemented two important additions to their Stormwater Quality Permit requirements that significantly impact the permitting process, and apply to both new permits and permit renewals and transfers.
The first of these changes requires time/date stamped photo documentation of a site’s approved structural controls (pond, underground system, etc.), taken no more than 30 days prior to the submission date. In addition, there must also be at least one location establishing picture that shows both the structural control and an identifying landmark.
Houston Storm Water Quality Permitting
The second change implemented pertains to hydrodynamic separator stormwater quality features (i.e., Stormtrooper, Stormceptor, ADS, etc.). The changes are that a copy of the waste manifest from the most recent clean-out is required along with the other repermitting documents.
One way to look at the additional requirements for stormwater quality permits in Harris County is that they are essentially supporting evidence to accompany the existing application documents required for new permits, permit renewals, and permit transfers, and while these things are not burdensome, they do require some advance preparation that are already part of our turnkey stormwater quality services.
