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Henry County Stormwater Management
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***Henry County Stormwater Management (HCSM) is a separate entity from the Henry County Water Authority (HCWA). Click here to learn differences in jurisdiction/operations between HCSM and HCWA.***

Address: 347 Phillips Drive, McDonough, GA 30253
Tel: (770) 288-7246 / Tel: (770) 288-RAIN / Fax: (770) 288-7257
Hours: Mon - Fri: 7:30a - 4:30p
Director: Alex Mohajer

Submit a Service Request at the bottom of this page.

MISSION: To effectively and efficiently manage stormwater runoff and protect the safety, property and environmental quality of unincorporated Henry County.

Henry County is required by law to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Stormwater NPDES Phase II Permit Program. This program requires that all regulated communities, including Henry County, prepare stormwater management plans to control runoff of stormwater from both point and non-point pollution sources.

The Henry County Stormwater Management Department (HCSMD) was established in 2004 and is responsible for the development and implementation of stormwater pollution abatement projects within unincorporated Henry County.

Under the Federal Clean Water Act (Adobe Acrobat PDF Download the overview of the act), each county and municipality throughout the nation is issued a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit. The goal of the permit is to stop polluted discharges from entering the storm drain system and local waterways. The Henry County Stormwater Management Department's pollution abatement projects are designed to meet the requirements of the NPDES Permit

The Stormwater Program has two major elements — Reduce Pollution and Flood Control. Pollution Abatement involves compliance with federal regulations, and in essence, constitutes the model program components (i.e., Public Education, Inspection/Enforcement, Illicit Discharges/Illicit Connections, Program Compliance) while Flood Control is essential for the protection of life and property.

A major focus of the program is the control and elimination of stormwater pollution through compliance with the NPDES municipal stormwater permit. Henry County is currently in its first year of a five year cycle.

Online Services

Electronic Plan Review

Apply for Permit

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Contact henry County Government

General Questions

The Stormwater Utility was developed in response to an environmental mandate from Georgia's Environmental Protection division to develop a comprehensive watershed and stormwater management program to protect water quality in the state’s waterways. This mandated program was necessary to comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Phase II Permit regulations of the federal Environmental Protection Agency. A large percentage of the stormwater run-off travels through the storm drains and carry pollutants to the county reservoirs that supply our drinking water. The Henry County Water Authority was founded to acquire, construct, and thereafter operate and maintain projects embracing sources of water supply and the distribution and sale of water and related facilities, including the establishment of a sanitary sewer system in Henry County.

The Henry County Board of Commissioners oversees the Stormwater Management Department which is in charge of implementing the stormwater management program.

It is the area on a property that is covered by buildings, driveways, parking areas, and other hard surfaces (concrete, gravel, asphalt, roof-tops) that prevent stormwater runoff from being absorbed into the soil. Consequently, stormwater picks up pollutants deposited on these surfaces, such as oil, gasoline, pesticides and other chemicals and carries it to streams and rivers. In addition, as runoff travels over these hard surfaces, it gains speed and erodes soil near the bodies of water, further contaminating our water bodies with sediment.

The stormwater website will be the most up-to-date source of information. These FAQs, other fact sheets about stormwater pollution and news about the Stormwater Management Department will be posted, along with copies of the Ordinance and other items of interest. Check the website often for new information. Billing information can be obtained from the website or from Stormwater customer service representatives.

like other government entities, Henry County has traditionally managed stormwater by collecting it and moving it to our creeks and rivers as quickly as possible. But Henry County is now facing unfunded federal and state mandates (the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System or NPDES Permitting Program) that require the County to manage stormwater in ways that will also protect all tributaries and improve water quality. Until now, stormwater management activities have primarily been paid for with general fund revenues, but this funding source is inadequate to pay for the stormwater management programs necessary to be in compliance with these mandates. Consequently, a new stormwater utility fee has been created to provide an equitable and stable funding source for these new stormwater management activities.

No, there are federally mandated requirements that affect governments nationwide. Currently in Georgia, 29 counties and 55 cities are new permittees. A short list of counties and cities in major urbanized areas that are currently under the state and federal stormwater mandates are: Counties - Bartow, Catoosa, Chattahoochee, Cherokee, Clarke, Columbia, Dade, Dougherty, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Glynn, Henry, Houston, Jones, Lee, Newton, Oconee, Rockdale, Walker and Walton Counties. Cities - Albany, Athens, Brunswick, Centerville, Chickamauga, Conyers, Douglasville, Fort Oglethorpe, Grovetown, Lookout Mountain, McDonough, Mountain Park, Payne, Rome, Rossville, Stockbridge, Vernonburg, Warner Robins, Winterville and Woodstock. More governments may be added in the future. Many cities and counties have had stormwater utilities in place for many years. Others are turning to utilities to provide stable and equitable funding to implement stormwater management activities, whether or not they are affected by the unfunded federal mandate (NPDES).

The federal government requires this permit under the authority of the Clean Water Act. There are substantial monetary penalties for non-compliance. Willful violations can result in penalties of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per day per occurrence. Additionally, the Act provides the opportunity for third party lawsuits against Henry County if it fails to comply with the permit requirements.

Some drainage complaints that the County receives are for problems on private property that the County has no authority to address. The existence of a Stormwater Utility will not change that. There are, however, historical problems located on public property or on private property with public drainage easements. The stormwater department maintains a master list of service requests for which it has authority to address.

Stormwater utilities and user charges offer a number of advantages over property taxes. Governments all over the Country are relying on user fees that are often a more stable source of revenues.

  • Revenues from stormwater fees can only be used for stormwater related expenditures. Conversely, funding from general revenue sources faces fierce competition each year among elected officials and department directors vying for their share of limited dollars.
  • Under property tax systems, stormwater managers often cannot count on budget allocations, do not have as much control over their budgets, and cannot plan as well.
  • Perhaps the most important reason that the number of user fee systems is increasing is that property owners believe charges are more fair. Impervious area, the basis for most stormwater fees, can be measured and is a reasonably objective measure. The idea that property owners pay in proportion to the measured amount of hard surface on their property seems fair. Property values, conversely, are unrelated to the problem of stormwater runoff.

Property taxes are not an equitable means of collecting funding from everyone who uses and benefits from the stormwater system. Though user fees are not tax-deductible for individuals, businesses can deduct it as a business expense.

No. Historically, only a small amount of general fund revenues have been allocated to stormwater management activities. These limited dollars will simply be absorbed into other expanding programs such as our Fire, transportation and Police Departments.

No. The stormwater services that are required of our County under the new mandatory NPDES permit will require a new source of funding. Past reliance on the general fund and limited sales tax programs to provide needed revenues has resulted in very little money to carry out these programs. Early in the process, the Board of Commissioners realized that Henry County would need some type of funding alternative such as Special Service Districts with district taxes, Special One-time Assessments levied against properties, Grants and Loans, Permit and Inspection Fees, Impact/Facility Fees for new development or User Fees based on a property’s contribution of stormwater runoff.

Fee Questions

Every property contributes and places a demand on the stormwater system. Every property benefits from the County’s stormwater management activities, whether or not there is a constructed storm sewer connected directly to the property. As an example, everyone relies on and benefits from the storm sewer system constructed to serve the road network that gets us to and from work. The County’s vast stormwater management system consists of both natural and constructed features, many of which are not obvious. In addition to the traditional stormwater conveyance needs of individual property owners, the Stormwater Management Department is now required, under the stormwater mandate, to manage the entire stormwater management system, which includes providing water quality and channel protection, system mapping, inspections, maintenance and repair of ponds and conveyances, water sampling and testing, watershed planning and other programs for the benefit of the entire community.

The amount of impervious surface (hard surfaces like roads, buildings, driveways and parking lots), and land use type are the factors taken into consideration to determine an equitable fee. As we build more impervious surfaces, the amount of stormwater that runs off the land without soaking into the ground increases. As the percentage of impervious area on property increases, our surface waters slowly become more polluted, aquatic habitats deteriorate, and flooding risks increase. The percent of impervious area on a parcel can be measured on aerial photographs or calculated by a licensed professional from site and general development plans. Additionally, we know that as the percent of impervious area increases, other factors, like land use and development density, also impact our storm sewer system and surface waters by increasing runoff rates, runoff volumes, and pollutant loads. The fee is determined as follows:

Single-Family Residential Fee
The flat annual fee for each single-family residential parcel is $39.83. The County has found that, irrespective of the size of a residential parcel, the amount of stormwater runoff and pollutant loading from residential development is similar and that it would be excessively and unnecessarily expensive to determine precisely the percent impervious area for each of the 46,000+ residential parcels in Henry County. Therefore, each residential parcel in the County will be charged a uniform residential fee of $39.83, regardless of the size of each parcel or the amount of impervious area on each parcel. Based on a statistical sampling and for the purpose of calculating the Fee, all residential parcels are considered to contain 4,780 square feet of impervious area.

Non-Residential Fee
The same equation is used to calculate the Fee for non-residential parcels. However, the impervious area on non-residential parcels varies significatly, so in this case, the amount of impervious area for each parcel was actually measured using a combination of aerial photography and tax assessor’s data. The Non Single-Family Residential Fee (commercial, industrial, institutional businesses) is $39.83 for every 4,780 square feet of impervious surface. For example, a grocery store that contains exactly 15 times the impervious area of the average sized house (15 x 4,780 = 71,700 square feet) will pay 15 times the single-family rate or $597.45 per year.

All single-family homeowners are paying a flat fee based on the results of representative, statistical sampling of actual homes in Henry County. This sampling concluded that the average amount of impervious area per single family lot is 4,780 square feet.

Only if they are the owner. The fee is assessed to property owners, not residents or tenants. The formula that is used to calculate the fee for the residential customers is the same as that used for the non-residential customers. The owners of such housing complexes will need to determine how to apportion their fee back to their residents.

The cost to manage stormwater from commonly owned residential parcels is covered by the Single-Family Residential Fee. Out-lots and common areas will not be charged a fee.

The stormwater unit rate was adopted by the Henry County Board of Commissioners on May 15, 2006. This rate will provide a 2007 stormwater operations and capital improvement budget of $2.7 million. The Stormwater Unit Rate is the amount of money needed on a per parcel basis, given the parcel size and percent impervious area that, in total, will provide Utility revenues sufficient to provide the services allocated in this budget.

Stormwater management systems protect the environment, people and property by ensuring the safety of our water bodies for generations to come. In the past, general fund revenues paid for limited stormwater management activities. Since inception of the NPDES permit in early 2003, the County has been obligated to provide their citizens, business owners and the development community with a wide range of stormwater management programs. These include:

  • Maintenance of single-family residential stormwater management facilities and conveyances located outside of the street right-of-way (ponds, swales, drainage ditches)
  • Retrofits and repair of single-family residential stormwater management ponds and conveyances
  • Inspection and engineering assessments of privately-owned stormwater management ponds and conveyances and storm sewers, culverts and ditches located inside of the street right-of-way
  • Enhanced development plan review and enforcement for grading, stormwater runoff, water quality and environmental protection
  • Public education and outreach activities at schools, businesses and civic organizations
  • Detailed stormwater infrastructure inventory and mapping updates to regulated flood-plain boundaries
  • Field monitoring, water quality sampling and enhanced code enforcement illicit discharge detection, citations and abatement
  • training seminars for citizens, educators and developers
  • Stabilization of creeks and other manmade and natural drainage-ways
  • Planning and design of regional facilities designed for flood control and water quality improvement
  • Construction site inspection of stormwater facilities before acceptance into the County’s inventory

In addition, developers of new commercial, industrial, institutional and residential property will continue to add to the County’s stormwater management system either by building on-site stormwater management ponds and conveyances that serve their new developments and/or by funding the construction of regional stormwater management facilities.

The NPDES regulations require that these same activities be continued and intensified, plus work is conducted in these new areas:

  • Targeted public education and participation
  • Construction of regional water quality and quantity control structures
  • Computer aided storm sewer system mapping
  • Routine pond and outfall inspections and maintenance
  • Detection and elimination of illegal discharges to the storm sewer system
  • Development and enforcement of erosion control and illicit discharge ordinances
  • Pollution prevention activities
  • Verification of response to citizen inquiries, violations reports, and complaints
  • Enhanced record-keeping and report preparation
  • Watershed based stormwater management planning

No. The Stormwater Utility provides dedicated funding only for stormwater management program activities specified by the Stormwater Utility Ordinance. The Henry County Finance Department will track the amount of money generated through the Utility and account for how the money is spent.

Yes. Once Henry County has a stable source of revenue, we can compete with other governments in Georgia for federal and state funds. Many of the grants administered by the EPA, Corps of Engineers and other agencies require only a 25% to 40% local match from the County. That means Stormwater Utility proceeds can be used as leverage to such an extent that up to 75% of the revenue is provided from outside sources.

The County does not provide utility fee reductions for elderly, disabled, or low-income customers. The Fee is based on impervious surfaces such as roof-tops, driveways and asphalt or concrete parking areas. Credits (discounts) may be available for eligible properties that install, alter, or conduct activities that reduce the costs of services provided by the County.

a) Yes. Undeveloped properties will not pay a fee since they have no impervious surfaces.

b) Parcels with impervious area from the public transportation network (roads, sidewalks, etc.) are not charged a fee. The stormwater management costs associated with impacts from public transportation networks are apportioned to all customers as part of the Stormwater Utility Fee due to the universal benefit that customers derive from them. In addition, public transportation networks are directly responsible for stormwater management of their rights–of-way and assume the costs associated with those responsibilities.

Yes. Every developed property in Henry County contributes and places a demand on the stormwater system and receives the benefit and use of the stormwater management system, regardless of tax status. Therefore, all owners of developed property will pay their fair share to support it. Tax-exempt entities will need to pay for stormwater management, just like they pay for drinking water, wastewater, and electrical utility services.

Henry County customer service representatives can research this information and provide a response to prospective property buyers.

No. Revenues will go into a separate fund that may only be used for stormwater services.

It is estimated that $2.7 million will be collected in the first year.

After several years of planning, the Henry County Board of Commissioners adopted an ordinance on May 15, 2006 creating the Stormwater Management Utility. Extensive public outreach was conducted prior to adoption of the ordinance to obtain input on this proposal, with meetings held throughout 2004, 2005 and 2006. At least eight (8) newspaper and other articles explaining the new Stormwater Programs were regularly published in local media, including the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, The Daily Herald, the Henry County Times and the Henry County Chamber of Commerce newsletter, Visions beginning in February 2004. Brochures and fact sheets were distributed at local organizations, libraries, senior centers and restaurants.

Letters were sent out to all property owners explaining the mandated Stormwater Management Program, the associated costs with implementing it and the dates of the Town Hall Meetings and Commission meetings to approve the ordinance and rate structure.

The Board of Commissioners met on June 30 and July 6, 2004 and February 9 and March 6, 2006 to specifically discuss the utility’s rate structure. Citizen, stakeholder and in-house advisory groups were formed as early as 2002. They met extensively throughout 2004, 2005 and 2006. Their recommendations were documented and taken into consideration in creating the final version of the ordinance and its associated plans and policies.

Billing Questions

Your stormwater utility fee will be on your tax bill which is mailed out each September. Though a separate fee, it can be paid together with your tax bill.

No

No. For records keeping and database purposes, rate payers will receive separate bills for each property that they own.

Not from Henry County. Individual cities within the County may have their own stormwater utility charge, but the Henry County Utility will only collect fees from residents and businesses located in unincorporated Henry County. Please contact the cities directly if you live there and have any questions.

Yes. Unoccupied parcels will still be billed. The availability of the stormwater management system cannot be discontinued based on occupancy.

No, only property owners will receive bills. Property owners may choose to pass the fee onto renters in the form of higher payments, but the obligation for payment rests with the property owner.

Yes, all property owners of developed land will receive bills.

Due to the variability in ownership combinations, it will be up to the joint property owners to determine a billing approach that is acceptable to them and Henry County.

Due to the variability in ownership combinations, it will be up to the joint property owners to determine a billing approach that is acceptable to them and Henry County.

No; you may pass this expense on to your renters via a rent increase, but the ultimate responsibility to make payment remains with the property owner.

The impervious surface on your property was determined with great accuracy using Geographic Information System tools, survey results and existing County records.

When Henry County makes the assessment for improvements on a property and adds it to the tax role, the Stormwater Utility Fee will also be activated.

Owners should notify Henry County of the date that their property transaction will be complete so they can “finalize” their account and transfer account responsibility to the new owner. The stormwater fee is not pro-rated; whoever owned the property at the time of the billing cycle is responsible for the bill.

The stormwater fee is imposed annually and is payable, as part of your property tax bill, each year before November 15. A one percent (1%) charge will be applied each month if not paid by the due date. A ten percent (10%) penalty will be applied on all bills that are 90 days past due.

Compared to stand-alone monthly billing and its associated mailing and postage costs, “piggy-backing” the stormwater collection method on the existing annual property tax bill saves everyone money by significantly reducing the administrative costs of the program.

Correction/Appeal Questions

There are several types of errors that can occur with the stormwater fee:

  • Your property is incorrectly classified as a non-residential customer or as a residential customer.
  • The percent impervious area identified for your non-residential parcel is incorrect.
  • Your Fee contains an apparent multiplication error. You are receiving a bill for parcels that you do not own.
  • You are not being billed for parcels that you do own.
  • Your mailing address is incorrect.

If you think the bill is incorrect, you will need to contact the Henry County Stormwater Management Department for assistance. Correction requests will be handled on a first come, first served basis.

Yes, for up to six months from the time a Fee Correction Request is submitted, assuming incorrect billing occurred during that same timeframe.

If a business owner (non single-family residential customer) believes that the impervious area is incorrect, they will need to submit a correction that has been certified by a registered professional engineer, land surveyor, architect, or landscape architect, along with supporting documentation. The request will be evaluated within 60 days and notification of the fee correction decision will be mailed to the customer. Since the residential fee is a flat fee, there are no fee corrections for residential customers unless the customer was double billed or billed for property that they don’t own. The County has found that the amount of stormwater runoff and pollution from residential development is similar. Furthermore, the residential fee represents the minimum, equitable payment for a single-family property that is needed to support the stormwater program.

Yes. If the non-residential customer disagrees with the fee correction decision, an appeal may be made to the Henry County Board of Commissioners.

Environmental Calendar & Events

Henry County Stormwater Management hosts a variety of hands-on water quality and educational outreach initiatives for the community at little to no cost. The programs inform students and volunteers about the importance of water quality issues.

In addition, the Stormwater Management Department host environmental events that are designed to encourage the public to participate and get involved in the prevention of stormwater pollution. We encourage you to visit this page periodically for updates and new information on future events.

For more details on our planned events, you may contact our offices at 770-288-RAIN (7246).

Visit the Environmental Protection Agency and learn about the things you can do to get involved.

Why Stormwater Matters

Impacts of Runoff on Henry County Watersheds

Land development has a profound influence on the quality of Henry County waters. To start, development dramatically alters the local hydrologic cycle which is the process by which the majority of rainwater, falling on undeveloped land, infiltrates into the soil and slowly makes its way to creeks and lakes. The hydrology of an undeveloped site changes during the initial clearing and grading that occur during construction. trees, meadow grasses, and agricultural crops that once intercepted and absorbed rainfall are removed and natural depressions that temporarily pond water are graded to a uniform slope. Cleared and graded sites erode, are often severely compacted, and can no longer prevent rainfall from being rapidly converted into stormwater runoff.

Local Hydrologic Cycle
Click the image above to view a larger image.

The situation can worsen after construction. Roof-tops, roads, parking lots, driveways and other impervious surfaces no longer allow rainfall to soak into the ground. Consequently, most rainfall is converted directly to runoff while ground water flows slow to a trickle. The increase in stormwater runoff can be too much for remaining natural drainage systems to handle. As a result, the natural drainage system is often altered to rapidly collect runoff and quickly convey it away (using curb and gutter, enclosed storm sewers, and lined channels). The stormwater runoff is subsequently discharged to streams, reservoirs or lakes. The following example demonstrates the effect of stormwater runoff.

Henry County Stormwater

Click the image above to view a larger image.

The overriding condition that governs the quantity of stormwater runoff is the amount of impervious surfaces located on your property (driveways, roofs, carports, sidewalks, etc.)

Watch video Stormwater quality, however, is governed by the accumulation of pollutants on the entire surface area, regardless of whether it is grassed or paved. As the use of chemicals around the home such as fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, engine oils, anti-freeze and similar products increases, the more degraded the stormwater runoff from your property will be.

Although the effect of one property on the quality and quantity of stormwater runoff may seem insignificant, the cumulative impact from hundreds of thousands of properties across the State is destructive to our water quality. The following activities will minimize stormwater runoff from your property:

  • limit the amount of impervious surfaces in your landscape. Use permeable paving surfaces such as wood decks, bricks, and concrete lattice to allow water to soak into the ground. Where possible, direct runoff from impervious surfaces across vegetated areas.
  • Allow "thick" vegetation or "buffer strips" to grow alongside waterways to filter and slow runoff and soak up pollutants.
  • Plant trees, shrubs, and groundcover. They will absorb up to fourteen times more rainwater than a grass lawn and they don't require fertilizer.

For more information on environmentally friendly planting and landscaping designs, contact Henry County Stormwater Management Department or the Henry County Extension Office.

Additional activities that will reduce fertilizer, pesticide, and sediment runoff:

  • Use natural alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
  • If you must use fertilizers or pesticides, test your soil to determine the appropriate amount.
  • If a lawn care company services your lawn, make certain it is not applying "blanket" applications of fertilizer and pesticides.
  • Ask if they have conducted soil tests and a pest analysis to determine appropriate applications.
  • Also, re-sod or reseed bare patches in your lawn as soon as possible to avoid erosion.

Adopt-A-Stream

Adopt-A-StreamWater pollution affects us all. Although there are no easy remedies, correcting water pollution depends on a future generation of informed, concerned citizens. We invite concerned people like you to take an active role in assuring the well-being of your communities' water resources.

Adopt-A-Stream is an educational volunteer water quality-monitoring program designed to help you, young people, and help our local waterway. Groups supported by Henry County Stormwater agree to observe or evaluate their adopted waterway and take action together to improve their lake, stream, pond, or wetland.

Adopt-A-Stream program; you can help make a difference in our environment by joining volunteers throughout Henry County who monitor water quality in local waterways. The data you collect is sometimes used to assess the overall condition of streams and could be used to help determine watershed management initiatives.

The Henry County Stormwater Management Department (HCSMD) will provide all the necessary training and equipment you will need to become an Adopt-A-Stream Volunteer. No prior experience is necessary. The monitoring equipment is loaned and shared and contains everything needed to conduct both biological and chemical monitoring.

Adopt-A-StreamAdopt-A-Stream volunteer monitoring combines the efforts of public and private communities in hopes of improving and protecting the water quality of Henry County. The program is open to everyone: citizens, families, schools, scout groups, civic organizations, churches, and business. The Adopt-A-Stream program goals are to increase public awareness of local water resources, provide volunteer training, collect quality data and build partnerships to protect our most precious resource- WATER.

We train volunteers to assess natural conditions in streams based on the presence and abundance of benthic macro invertebrates (aquatic insects). Volunteers also learn how to take chemical measurements. training includes indoor and field workshops and mentoring by experienced monitors.

Adopt-A-StreamVolunteers can monitor at different levels of commitment. You may choose to assist other monitors when it is convenient for your schedule. On the other hand, you may select a stream location to adopt and commit to monitoring it four times a year. We will make the program work for you!

 

 

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer monitor, contact:

Javier Sayago - Henry County Adopt-A-Stream Coordinator-
347 Phillips Drive
McDonough, GA 30253
Office: 770-288-7266
Cell: 404-615-3052

 

Education & Outreach

Henry County Stormwater Quality & Pollution Prevention (SQPP) recognizes that one of the most effective ways to protect and maintain water quality is through pollution prevention. Therefore, our education and outreach efforts are designed to encourage environmentally and socially responsible behavior in public and at home, school, and work. Education and awareness hold great power and potential to incentivize changes in attitude and behavior that can result in an overall reduction of stormwater pollution. In addition, SQPP sponsors and/or hosts annual activities and encourages citizens to participate and become involved in stormwater management and pollution prevention. These events will be posted on our events page; please check it periodically for updates and feel free to contact our office at 770-288-RAIN (7246) for more details. SQPP staff are available to hold presentations before audiences that include, but are not limited to, boy/girl scout troops, government personnel, educational institutions, nonprofits, civic organizations, community groups, and school clubs.

Becoming Informed

This section provides a variety of stormwater pollution prevention links. We have provided resources that include a stormwater glossary to help explain terminology used thorough this site. In addition to these resources, SQPP has assembled a library of brochures, tapes, and DVDs. Topics include point and non-point source pollution, total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), on-site septic maintenance, and more.

Henry County Stormwater Management
 Stormwater Glossary of Terms
Download the Henry County Stormwater glossary in PDF format.
Clean Water Campaign
 Clean Water Campaign
What Can I Do?
Clean Water Campaign is a cooperative multi-agency education and public awareness programs solutions to water quality issues. This site provides a variety of stormwater resources to educational, residential, and business communities.
Clean Water Campaign
 Stormwater Brochures and Printed Material
Clean Water Campaign brochures and fact sheets are a great resource for additional information and to share with others. Downloadable in a PDF format.
EPA
 Best Management Practices Search
An Environmental Protection Agency Resource where you can perform a general search for keywords on problems associated with stormwater, general Best Management Practices (BMP) information.
EPA
 Student & Teacher Resources
A variety of age appropriate environmental resources for both formal and non-formal educators.
EPA
 Learn about your Watershed
You can find useful information about the Henry County Ocmulgee Watershed
Project Wet
 Project WET:
Teachers and Educators
Project WET is a national program designed to promote and provide global water education resources to teachers, parents, students and the community.
The Globe Program
 The Globe Program
GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science and education program.

What You Can Do

Watch video Remember, any sediment, trash, debris, chemicals, or other harmful substances that come in contact with stormwater can end up in our wetlands, ponds, drinking water supplies, streams, and rivers. All of us share a responsibility in environmental stewardship and keeping our aquatic resources clean and healthy for ourselves, flora and fauna, communities downstream, and future generations. Here are some things you can do:

As Individuals, Renters, and Homeowners

  • Don't blow or rake leaves, trimmings, or grass into ditches or down storm drains,
  • Don't overuse fertilizers or pesticides.
  • Plant landscaping native to local weather and climatic conditions
  • Maintain your septic systems properly.
  • If you wouldn’t want to drink it or bathe or swim in it, don’t pour it in a ditch/gutter or down a storm drain
  • Bring used oil, paint, antifreeze, and other household hazardous waste to a recycling center or a recycling collection event; never pour these items down a storm drain or in a gutter/storm drain.
  • Keep pets away from waterside areas used by people.
  • Pick up after your pet(s) every time, everywhere; this will prevent unhealthy bacteria from entering our aquatic resources
  • Be a good example to children and others by recycling and properly disposing of trash and toxic materials.
  • Educate and encourage others (family, apartment management, friends, coworkers, etc) about water quality and stormwater pollution, how he or she can help reduce stormwater pollution, and how stormwater pollution affects everyone.
  • Practice what you preach about water quality and stormwater pollution and prevention
  • Report any unauthorized dumping in storm drains or near waterways
  • Report any stormwater and/or water pollution

As Business Owners

  • Recycle grease and oil; do not pour them into sinks, down storm drains, or onto parking areas or streets.
  • Actively provide recycling services to your business
  • Store materials safely and keep toxic materials in original containers.
  • Cleary label all containers
  • Ensure contaminated water and chemicals are disposed of properly; do not dump them down storm drains or into ditches, gutters, or waterways
  • Keep dumpster areas clean, close lid(s) when not in use, and periodically inspect for leaks
  • Report any illicit discharges to the proper authorities.
  • Hold employee and/or client/vendor trainings about the importance of water quality and stormwater pollution and prevention

Clean Water Campaign - Henry CountyAs Developers

  • Use low impact site design techniques.
  • Implement and maintain green infrastructure best management practices
  • Dispose construction debris in appropriate facilities
  • Implement erosion control measures to prevent runoff.
  • Inspect and maintain construction sites to prevent runoff.
  • Locate sites away from down sloping streets or driveways, as well as streams, lakes or drainage ways.
  • Clean up daily by scraping and sweeping up soils tracked onto roadways.
  • Prevent root damage of shrubbery and trees by placing barriers around plant life.
  • Revegetate through mulching and seeding.
  • Report any unauthorized dumping in storm drains or near waterways
  • Report any stormwater and/or water pollution

 

Floodplain Management

Floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States, however, all floods are not alike. Flood effects can be local, impacting a neighborhood or community, or very large, affecting entire river basins. Some floods develop slowly, over a period of days. Some develop quickly, sometimes in just a few minutes and without any visible signs of rain. Flash floods often have a dangerous wall of roaring water that carries rocks, mud, and other debris and can sweep away most things in its path. Overland flooding occurs outside a defined river or stream.

It is important to be aware of flood hazards regardless of where you live. Even very small streams, gullies, creeks, culverts, dry streambeds, or low-lying ground that appears harmless in dry weather can flood.

This section provides citizens of Henry County with information and resources to familiarize themselves with the subject of flooding, and to become acquainted with the policies and programs related to flooding and floodplain management.

Helpful Links

  • Henry County Floodplain Mapping: Each panel is numbered. To locate a desired panel, zoom in and click that section for a more detailed view. Adjust your view settings to a desired area within a selected panel. To print, select File, Print and Current View.
  • FEMA Flood Maps: Federal Emergency Management Agency
  • Georgia Flood Maps - Henry County: The Georgia Flood Map provides the latest in digital floodplain data. You can view and download the most recent flood insurance and basin information.
  • Floodsmart: Floodsmart provides detailed information about floods, risk of financial loss due to flooding and flood insurance. Sponsored by the National Flood Insurance Program.
  • Georgia Disaster History: A database of Region 4 (IV) FEMA emergency events.
 

 

Stormwater Service Request



Stormwater Service Request:

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Henry County Administration Building
Phone: 770.288.6000
140 Henry Parkway
McDonough, GA 30253

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