For the purposes of this chapter, certain terms and words used
herein shall be interpreted as follows:
A. Words used in the present tense include the future tense; the singular
number includes the plural, and the plural number includes the singular;
words of masculine gender include feminine gender; and words of feminine
gender include masculine gender.
B. The word "includes" or "including" shall not limit the term to the
specific example but is intended to extend its meaning to all other
instances of like kind and character.
C. The word "person" includes an individual, firm, association, organization,
partnership, trust, company, corporation or any other similar entity.
D. The words "shall" and "must" are mandatory; the words "may" and "should"
are permissive.
E. The words "used or occupied" include the words "intended, designed,
maintained, or arranged to be used or occupied."
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
ALTERATION
As applied to land, a change in topography as a result of
the moving of soil and rock from one location or position to another;
also the changing of surface conditions by causing the surface to
be more or less impervious; land disturbance.
APPLICANT
A landowner or developer who has filed an application for approval to engage in any regulated activities as defined in §
177-5 of this chapter.
CISTERN
An underground reservoir or tank for storing rainwater.
CULVERT
A structure with appurtenant works which carries a stream
under or through an embankment or fill.
DAM
An artificial barrier, together with its appurtenant works,
constructed for the purpose of impounding or storing water or another
fluid or semifluid, or a refuse bank, fill or structure for highway,
railroad or other purposes which does or may impound water or another
fluid or semifluid.
DESIGN STORM
The magnitude and temporal distribution of precipitation
from a storm event measured in probability of occurrence (e.g., a
five-year storm) and duration (e.g., 24 hours), used in the design
and evaluation of stormwater management systems.
DETENTION BASIN
An impoundment structure designed to manage stormwater runoff
by temporarily storing the runoff and releasing it at a predetermined
rate.
DEVELOPER
A person, partnership, association, corporation or other
entity, or any responsible person therein or agent thereof, that undertakes
any regulated activity of this chapter.
DEVELOPMENT SITE
The specific tract of land for which a regulated activity
is proposed.
DRAINAGE EASEMENT
A right granted by a landowner to a grantee allowing the
use of private land for stormwater management purposes.
DRAINAGE PLAN
The documentation of the stormwater management system, if any, to be used for a given development site, the contents of which are established in §
177-16.
EROSION
The movement of soil particles by the action of water, wind,
ice or the natural forces.
FLOODPLAIN
Any land area susceptible to inundation by water from any
natural source or delineated by applicable Department of Housing and
Urban Development, Federal Insurance Administration Flood Hazard Boundary
Maps as being a special flood hazard area.
INFILTRATION STRUCTURES
A structure designed to direct runoff into the ground (e.g.,
french drains, seepage pits, seepage trench).
LAND DEVELOPMENT
The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous lots,
tracts or parcels of land for any purpose involving a group of two
or more buildings or the division or allocation of land or space between
or among two or more existing or prospective occupants by means of,
or for the purpose of, streets, common areas, leaseholds, condominiums,
building groups or other features; any subdivision of land; any lot
improvements regulated under the Borough's Zoning Ordinance.
LAND DISTURBANCE
Any activity involving grading, tilling, digging or filling
of ground or stripping of vegetation or any other activity that causes
an alteration to the natural condition of the land.
OPEN CHANNEL
A drainage element in which stormwater flows with an open
surface. Open channels include, but shall not be limited to, natural
and man-made drainageways, swales, streams, ditches, canals and pipes
flowing partly full.
PEAK DISCHARGE
The maximum rate of stormwater runoff from a specified storm
event.
PIPE
A culvert, closed conduit or similar structure (including
appurtenances) that conveys stormwater.
PMF (PROBABLE MAXIMUM FLOOD)
The flood that may be expected from the most severe combination
of critical meteorologic and hydrologic conditions that are reasonably
possible in an area. The PMF is derived from the probable maximum
precipitation (PMP) as determined on the basis of data obtained from
the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
REGULATED ACTIVITIES
Actions or proposed actions that have an impact on stormwater runoff and that are specified in §
177-5 of this chapter.
RETENTION BASIN
An impoundment in which stormwater is stored and not released
during the storm event. Stored water may be released from the basin
at some time after the end of the storm.
RETURN PERIOD
The average interval, in years, within which a storm event
of a given magnitude can be expected to recur. For example, the twenty-five-year
return period rainfall would be expected to recur on the average once
every 25 years.
RUNOFF
Any part of precipitation that flows over the land surface.
SCS
The United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation
Service.
SEDIMENT BASIN
A barrier, dam or retention or detention basin located and
designed to retain rock, sand, gravel, silt or other material transported
by water.
SEDIMENTATION
The process by which mineral or organic matter is accumulated
or deposited by the movement of water.
SEEPAGE PIT/SEEPAGE TRENCH
An area of excavated earth filled with loose stone or similar
coarse material into which surface water is directed for infiltration
into the ground.
SOIL-COVER-COMPLEX METHOD
A method of runoff computation developed by the SCS that
is based on relating soil type and land use/cover to a runoff parameter
called a "curve number" (CN).
STORAGE INDICATION METHOD
A reservoir routing procedure based on solution of the continuity
equation (inflow minus outflow equals the change in storage) with
outflow defined as a function of storage volume and depth.
STORM SEWER
A system of pipes and/or open channels that convey intercepted
runoff and stormwater from other sources, but excludes domestic sewage
and industrial wastes.
STORMWATER
The total amount of precipitation reaching the ground surface.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FACILITY
Any structure, natural or man-made, that, due to its condition,
design or construction, conveys, stores or otherwise affects stormwater
runoff. Typical stormwater management facilities include, but are
not limited to, detention and retention basins, open channels, storm
sewers, pipes and infiltration structures.
STREAM ENCLOSURE
A bridge, culvert or other structure in excess of 100 feet
in length upstream to downstream which encloses a regulated water
of this commonwealth.
SUBDIVISION
The division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land
by any means into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other divisions
of land, including changes in existing lot lines for the purpose,
whether immediate or future, of lease, transfer of ownership or building
or lot development.
THIS CHAPTER
Borough of Ridley Park Stormwater Management Ordinance.
WETLAND
Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or
ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and
that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation
typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions, including
swamps, marshes, bogs, ferns and similar areas.