Storm Water Management | Overview

For Developers

This questionnaire survey may help you understand some of the requirements for your site being developed.

In the late 1960’s the US Federal Government through losses in in the Supreme Courts was found responsible for not ensuring that the federal government was providing a sufficient means of regulation to safe guard our natural stream and waterway systems throughout the country. Do to the losses in the Court system it was ordered by the courts that the federal government through the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a policy and regulations to correlate which provide for the safe guard of our natural stream and waterway systems.

After years of research and study it was determined that growth was the primary cause of the impurities in the waterways and that led to the Clean Water Act of 1972 being passed by Congress. The Clean Water Act however provided the policy and left it up to the US EPA to develop a means of regulating that Policy.

The US EPA developed regulations and set up a means of implementing which requires States and local jurisdictions with population centers of a certain size to implement these regulations. This led to the State of Mississippi having its state regulations and permits for Storm Water, and the development of local County and City Storm Water permits and standards. Lamar County is part of the greater Hattiesburg population statistical area and therefor is required to have the Storm Water regulations.

What is Storm Water

The Federal Government defines Storm Water as “…runoff, snow melt runoff, and surface runoff and drainage [40 CFR 122.26(b)(13)]”. Although simple this definition spans a great area of topic. It basically is stating that everything water flow wise whether from rain, snow melt, to surface drainage is included in Storm Water.

How does Storm Water Effect You

As a citizen or a worker within Lamar County Storm Water can effect you in multiple different ways. If there is enough erosion from construction sites, developments, or yard work being done, it may clog a creek behind your house, business, or job site causing your property or project to flood. Over time that material may build up in the bottom of some of the creeks we have in Lamar County causing the creeks to hold less water because they are not as deep as previously thought they were. When it rains there is now more water that creek area and depth causing it to flood, possibly in places that have never seen flooding in over 30 years or more, or even on record. The impact on wildlife can be unimaginable in the sense that fish have shallower creeks to live in which tend to stay warmer from the sun because they are not as deep to dissipate the heat. The flow of the creeks could be different when it rains then it is not raining.

More directly to your house, or business, if you blow your leaves and grass clipping into the street or ditch you could cause a blockage of one of the culverts, or drains causing water to flood and start flowing some other direction possibly to your house or business.

What is the County’s Responsibility

Lamar County is limited in what it can do to help the Storm Water situation. Lamar County monitors all of our roadways and the crossing that we have under our control to ensure that the ditches and creeks are open and free flowing. Lamar County however does not have the right to go on private property without going through a process of noticing mandated by the state in order to do work related to creeks and streams. It also requires that it be a health and welfare need in order to conduct the operation.

Ordinance & Documents

Below you will find the latest version of the Lamar County Storm Water Runoff, Illicit Discharges, and Illegal Connections Ordinance. Along with the County ordinance, you will find a copy of the common forms Lamar County requires a person seeking approval to use.  Also included is a link to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality permit page for storm water.

Mississippi Dept. of Transportation Standards
Mississippi Dept. of Environmental Quality Storm Water Permit Division
Mississippi Dept. of Environmental Quality Storm Water Guidance Manual

Homeowner’s Responsibility

The homeowner in Lamar County unlike in municipal’s are responsible for the majority of storm water protection and practices within Mississippi. Since Lamar County can only deal with issues primarily related to our right of way, we rely on homeowners to ensure drainage if free of obstruction, and that any filling or construction work being done is within compliance with state and local statutes and ordinances. It is against Mississippi law to block or obstruct a natural water course which would result in adverse effects being created. In most cases it is up to the owner of the parcel being adversely effected to present a case in front of Chancery court.

Builders, Owners, Developers– Take Note of the following standards that apply to Lot Registration Parcels– No Burning per State, Sediment Control provision required for each lot, Toilet/Sanitary provisions, Trash containment/ disposal are required for each parcel.  There is no sharing allowed between the jobsites.

Required to post any all permits obtained on site in manner that is easily able to be found and readily visible.

Fore more information regarding storm water inspections and enforcement, please see our Inspections and Enforcement page.

Number One Thing To Remember

In Lamar County from time to time when a citizen has an issue, such as water flowing down a hill and eroding the grass and soil, Lamar County Planning Department gets a call to go out and take a look at it. Meeting with the land owners and providing them with tips and suggestions to keep the soil and grass in its place. It could be as simple as creating at ditch at the top of the hill to divert the water, or as elaborate as creating a terraced step style landscape that is less likely to erode because of water slowing down.
Planning Department also gets calls from developers and builders as to providing them with suggestions on how to keep a part of the site from eroding away while they are working in the area. Everything from dirt berms to spreading loose hay over the area and wetting it so it sticks to the soil could be used.

Lamar County Planning Department is here to help not just the developers and builders, but is here to help the citizens. We would rather meet with someone before any problems occur so we can at least get some discussion about the matter prior to any problems arising.

 

Contact us for further Inquires

Lamar County Planning Department

144 Shelby Speights Drive

Purvis, MS 39475

(601) 749-1024