Stormwater Management and Water Quality Plans
The stormwater plans that development in Virginia requires
Development changes how a site sheds water, and Virginia requires plans that address both the quantity and quality of the resulting runoff. Colman Engineering prepares stormwater management and water quality plans for projects across the state, documenting how a development manages runoff to meet the applicable standards. These plans are central to permitting most new development.
Benefits
Stormwater Management and Water Quality Plans
Quantity and quality addressed
We document how your project manages both the rate and the quality of runoff. Addressing both is central to Virginia's stormwater requirements for development.
Built around permit requirements
We prepare plans around state and local stormwater program requirements so your project is positioned to move through permitting.
Coordinated with the whole design
Stormwater plans have to work with the BMPs, grading, and drainage. We coordinate the plan with the rest of the site so the pieces align.
From site changes to a permit-ready stormwater plan
We evaluate how your development changes runoff and the quantity and quality standards it must meet. We document the management approach, including the BMPs and how they satisfy the requirements, and prepare the plan for the state and local stormwater program review. We coordinate it with your site's grading, drainage, and erosion control so the documents are consistent. As comments come in, we help you respond and refine toward approval.
Use Cases
A stormwater management and water quality plan is generally required for new development that disturbs land in Virginia.
01
You're developing or redeveloping a site
Your project adds impervious area or disturbs land at a scale that triggers stormwater requirements. We prepare the plan to support permitting.
02
You need to meet water quality standards
Your project has to address pollutant reduction or water quality targets. We document how the design meets them.
03
You're navigating the VSMP process
Your project falls under Virginia's stormwater management program. We prepare the plan and support the review process.
Tips and FAQs
Stormwater requirements in Virginia address both quantity and quality and are administered through state and local programs whose details vary by locality. The plan is tightly linked to your BMP design, grading, and erosion control, so developing them together keeps everything consistent. Requirements and thresholds can be involved, and we're glad to help you understand what applies before design gets underway.
Does my project need a stormwater plan?
Most new development that disturbs land in Virginia does, under the state and local stormwater programs. We can help you determine whether your project triggers the requirement.
What's the difference between quantity and quality requirements?
Quantity requirements address the rate and volume of runoff leaving the site, while quality requirements address pollutant reduction. Virginia's program addresses both, and our plans do too.
How does this relate to BMP design?
Closely. The plan documents how your BMPs meet the requirements, so the plan and the facility design are developed together and kept consistent.
Who reviews the plan?
Typically the local stormwater program authority, within Virginia's overall stormwater management framework. We prepare the plan to their standards and support the review.
