Abington Township requires Stormwater Management on all regulated activities that may affect stormwater runoff. Projects in which the applicant is proposing additional impervious surface, a Stormwater Management (SWM) Permit will be required. Impervious surfaces (like a shed, addition, driveway, walkway, or anything covered by impenetrable materials such as asphalt, concrete or most building materials) are an environmental concern because it eliminates rainwater infiltration and natural groundwater recharge and creates additional stormwater flow onto neighboring properties, streets and/or storm networks.
Basically, any project in which the applicant is proposing additional impervious surface, a SWM Permit will be required. A project with a proposed impervious surface area of:
- 0 to 250 sq. ft.; will require a seepage pit, rain garden or rain barrels. (Rain barrels can only be used on a residential property, a minimum of two [2] rain barrels is required and each rain barrel must be fifty [50] gallons or larger). Rain Barrels may NOT be used for any SWM project greater than 250 sq. ft.
- 251 sq. ft. to 1,000 sq. ft.; will require a seepage pit, rain garden or infiltration trench. Soil erosion control methods are also necessary and must be implemented at the time of construction. In most instances the plan must show existing conditions, proposed improvements, the location of the SWM system, calculations, details, soil erosion control, etc. A professional plan does not have to be prepared, but is encouraged.
- 1,000 sq. ft. or more, the applicant must submit SWM plan(s) & report, an existing conditions plan, and a soil erosion control plan; all which must be designed, signed and sealed by a licensed professional engineer. Also, the applicant is required to conduct infiltration testing by a PA licensed soils testing agency, in the general location of the proposed SMW system to ensure adequate percolation. The results of the test must be presented to the Township, along with the Stormwater Management Report.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The applicant must submit a diagram which will need to specify the type, the location and the size of the SWM system and show how the rain water is getting to the system. They must provide calculations as to how they arrived at the size of the SWM system (*). A detail of the SWM system must also be provided (*). Whatever type of system you plan to use, it must be 4’ from any property line or Right-of-Way/Easement line and 10’ from any permanent structure. (* a blank calculation sheet and a standard seepage pit detail can be provided upon request.)
The PLAN or DIAGRAM is a description of the proposed stormwater facilities, including types of materials to be used, total square footage of proposed impervious areas, volume calculations, and a simple sketch plan showing the following information:
- Location of proposed structures, driveways, or other paved areas with surface area in square feet.
- Location of any existing or proposed onsite septic system and/or potable water wells showing proximity to infiltration facilities.
These are just some basic SWM Ordinance information. All of the stormwater management requirements can be found in Chapter 142 of the Abington Township Ordinance; which can be found on-line here: https://ecode360.com/AB0569. Any stormwater management questions may be directed to Scott Marlin, Engineering Assistant, at 267-536-1018 or SMarlin@AbingtonPA.gov.
