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N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources

NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources
Water Quality - Tar-Pamlico Stormwater Rule

Water Quality

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Tar Pamlico Stormwater Rule, link to rules:


The stormwater rule requires six municipalities and five counties in the Tar-Pamlico Basin to develop and implement stormwater programs. The municipalities are:

Cities:
  Counties:
Greenville
  Beaufort
Henderson
  Edgecombe
Oxford
  Franklin
Rocky Mount
  Nash
Tarboro
  Pitt
Washington
 

These local governments were identified based on their potential nutrient contributions to the Pamlico estuary. The EMC may add other local governments it deems appropriate through future rule-making.

Local stormwater programs are to include the permitting of new development to prevent erosion, reduce nitrogen runoff by 30 percent compared to pre-development levels, and to keep phosphorus inputs from increasing from predevelopment levels. The local programs must also identify and remove illicit discharges, educate developers, businesses, and homeowners, and make efforts toward treating runoff from existing developed areas.

A nutrient by-down option is included as a tool for developers to achieve the required 4 pounds/ac/yr nitrogen and 0.4 pounds/ac/yr phosphorus on stormwater runoff. New development, however, must first meet the following conditions:

  • The computed nitrogen export for residential development cannot be greater than 6.0lbs/ac/yr
  • The computed nitrogen export for a commercial / industrial / institutional development cannot be greater than 10.0 lbs/ac/yr.
  • If the computed nitrogen export is greater than 6.0 lbs/ac/yr or 10.0 lbs/ac/yr for residential or commercial development respectively, then the developer must first use BMPs or take part in an approved regional or jurisdiction-wide stormwater strategy to lower the nitrogen export to at least those levels. The offset payment option can then be offered to address the remaining reductions needed to meet 4.0 lb N and 0.4 lb P/ac/yr.


The offset can either be done by the developer or through payment to a third party mitigation provider (e.g., N.C. Ecosystem Enhancement Program or a private mitigation banker as specified in rule 15A NCAC 02B .0240). More information on nutrient offsets can be found on the Nutrient Offset webpage.

Other Rule Links:

Tar-Pamlico Model Stormwater Program
Coastal Plain Export Calculation Worksheets
Piedmont Export Calculation Worksheets
Local Stormwater Programs
Stormwater Manual
BMP Nutrient Removal Efficiencies
NC Division of Water Quality Stormwater Program
15A NCAC 02B .0240 Payment Procedures for Nutrient Offset

 
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