Last spring, following a periodic review as required by law, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) updated the Neuse Nutrient Management Strategy and adopted its new rules (15A NCAC 02B .0711), effective April 1, 2020.
The new rules require Wake County to submit a revised Local Program for compliance by Sept. 10, 2021. Once reviewed by the N.C. Department of Water Resources and approved by the N.C. Environmental Management Commission (EMC), Wake County will have six months (estimated Sept. 2022) to implement the new Local Program which may include changes to the current stormwater ordinance. Subject local governments that do not currently have a Local Program will have an additional six months to develop a Program compliant with Neuse Stormwater Rules with full implementation approximately March 2023.
Major changes to the rule include:
- Density based treatment thresholds
- Updated requirements for nutrient loading calculation tool
- No peak flow rate match requirement
- Runoff volume match option
An overview of the Neuse Stormwater Rule updates is provided in the NCDEQ's Presentation to EMC Water Quality Committee. Questions on Wake County’s development of local program updates may be directed to Ashley Rodgers at Ashley.Rodgers@wakegov.com or 919-856-5531.
