§ 161.01 Purpose

It is the purpose of this chapter to:

1. Protect, maintain, and enhance the environment of the City and the public health, safety, and general welfare of the public by adopting as the City’s standards, the guidelines established in the Iowa Storm Water Management Manual (hereinafter referred to as the “standards”) to manage the storm water runoff to improve water quality and control the maximum rate of flow to prevent downstream flooding; and

2. Enable the City to comply with the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Permit (NPDES) and applicable statutes and regulations for storm water runoff through the following objectives:

A. Minimize increases in storm water runoff from development within the City limits and fringe area in order to reduce flooding, siltation, increases in stream temperature, and stream bank erosion and maintain the integrity of stream channels;

B. Minimize increases in nonpoint pollution caused by storm water runoff from development which would otherwise degrade local water quality;

C. Minimize the total annual volume of surface water runoff which flows from any specific development project site after completion, to not exceed the pre-development hydrologic regime to the maximum extent practicable; and

D. Reduce storm water runoff rates and volumes, soil erosion and nonpoint source pollution, whenever possible, through establishment of appropriate minimum storm water management standards and best management practices (BMPs) and to ensure that BMPs are maintained and pose no threat to public safety.