This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Borough
of Bellevue Stormwater Management Ordinance."
The Town Council of the Borough finds that:
A. Stormwater runoff from lands modified by human activities threatens
public health and safety by causing increased runoff flows and velocities,
which overtaxes the carrying capacity of existing streams and storm
sewers, greatly increases the cost of public facilities to convey
and manage stormwater.
B. Inadequate planning and management of stormwater runoff resulting
from land development and redevelopment throughout a watershed can
also harm surface water resources by changing the natural hydrologic
patterns, accelerating stream flows (which increase scour and erosion
of streambeds and stream banks thereby elevating sedimentation), destroying
aquatic habitat and elevating aquatic pollutant concentrations and
loadings such as sediments, nutrients, heavy metals and pathogens.
Groundwater resources are also impacted through loss of recharge.
C. These impacts happen mainly through a decrease in natural infiltration
of stormwater.
D. A comprehensive program of stormwater management, including reasonable
regulation of development and other activities causing loss of natural
infiltration, is fundamental to the public health, safety, welfare
and the protection of the people of the Borough and all the people
of the commonwealth, their resources, and the environment.
E. Public education on the control of pollution from stormwater is an
essential component in successfully addressing stormwater.
F. Federal and state regulations require certain municipalities to implement
a program of stormwater controls. These municipalities are required
to obtain a federal permit for stormwater discharges from their separate
storm sewer systems under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES).
G. Nonstormwater discharges to municipal separate storm sewer systems
can contribute to pollution of waters of the commonwealth by the Borough.
The purpose of this chapter is to promote health, safety and welfare within the Borough and its watershed by minimizing the damages described in §
230-1 of this chapter through provisions designed to:
A. Manage stormwater runoff impacts at their source by regulating activities
that cause these problems.
B. Provide review procedures, performance standards and design criteria
for stormwater planning and management.
C. Utilize and preserve the existing natural drainage systems as much
as possible.
D. Manage stormwater impacts close to the runoff source, which requires
a minimum of structures and relies on natural processes.
E. Focus on infiltration of stormwater to prevent degradation of surface
water and groundwater quality and to otherwise protect water resources.
F. Maintain existing flows and quality of streams and watercourses.
G. Meet legal water quality requirements under state law, including
regulations at 25 Pa. Code Chapter 93.4a to protect and maintain existing
uses and maintain the level of water quality to support those uses
in all streams and to protect and maintain water quality in special
protection streams.
H. Prevent stream bank and streambed scour and erosion.
I. Provide for proper operations and maintenance of all permanent stormwater
management facilities that are constructed in the Borough.
J. Provide a mechanism to identify controls necessary to meet the NPDES
permit requirements.
K. Implement an illegal discharge detection and elimination program
to address nonstormwater discharges into the Borough's separate
storm sewer system.
The Borough is empowered to regulate land use activities that
affect stormwater runoff by the authority of the Act of July 31, 1968,
P.L. 805, No. 247, the Municipalities Planning Code, as amended, and the Home Rule Charter.