Sussex County is taking steps to deal with residential flooding issues.
Late last month, County Council adopted a comprehensive drainage and grading ordinance that establishes new standards aimed at improving the flow of stormwater in new residential developments.
In recent years, the public and County officials have grown concerned about flooding that resulted after repeated heavy rainstorms overwhelmed ditches and swales in certain residential communities.
The ordinance eliminates standards for construction – some adopted as far back as the 1970s – and inserts more detailed requirements for road construction, sidewalks and runoff collection systems.
It also creates new steps in the County’s land use process to require more specific grading plans for developments and individual lots, to ensure rainwater is properly collected and flows away from homes, streets and other improvements to a stormwater retention system.
The ordinance, which also revises bonding requirements and parking design within the county code, will apply to all new construction of major subdivisions and residential planned communities, as well as townhouse, condominium and apartment complexes.
The new rules are the result of a years-long collaboration between County staff and the Sussex Conservation District, with input from participants from the general public, developers, engineers, site work contractors, and home builders.
The rules may not make all developers happy. In New Castle County, drainage issues have been blamed by developers for leading to a lengthy timetable and added costs for projects. At the same time, such issues have led to the demolition of homes in flood-prone areas in northern Delaware.
While county officials see the ordinance as a positive for homeowners and developers, they cautioned that the ordinance does not solve past issues within existing developments; those may require case-by-case solutions to deal with flooding problems.
The new ordinance will take effect in various stages, with some components occurring immediately and others occurring 30 days or later from Tuesday’s adoption. To view a copy of the ordinance, visit www.sussexcountyde.gov/ordinances.
