Did you know that your stormwater system is a tool for treating and managing rainfall runoff? Your stormwater system is responsible for controlling flooding as well as treating pollutants that come from roads, parking lots and yards before it impacts our lakes and rivers. Stormwater is the state’s leading conveyance of water pollution today.
Your pond is a stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) designed to reduce the impacts of pollutants and increased stormwater volume on local streams caused by development. They are an essential part of Orlando’s efforts to improve the quality of our streams, rivers and lakes; however, ponds will fail prematurely if not property maintained. Once a pond fails, it will no longer perform its intended function and it is often very expensive to repair or replace.
Routine maintenance will prolong the life of your pond, improve its appearance, prevent flooding and property damage and enhance local streams and lakes.
Please note: This is not a set of rules and regulations on how to design or build ponds.
The two types of stormwater ponds are retention and detention ponds. Retention ponds are typically dry and are designed to store a specific amount of runoff (usually the amount generated from the first inch of rainfall on a particular drainage area).
Dry retention ponds are designed to return to a dry state, through percolation and evaporation, in 72 hours.
Detention ponds are designed to fill up with runoff and then allow the water to pass through the pond at a slow, controlled rate through an outfall structure to a receiving waterbody.
Retention and detention ponds should return to the designed levels after normal rain events through evaporation or infiltration.
Where space is not available for stormwater ponds, underground exfiltration systems can be used. Exfiltration system store water in perforated pipes which allow the water to percolate through surrounding soils.
The City of Orlando has enacted codes to ensure your stormwater pond is functioning properly.
Chapter 31.05 of the City of Orlando Stormwater Utility Code states:
“The property owner shall be responsible for stormwater drainage facilities located on private property. The owner shall clean and maintain the facility or channel, as required, to ensure efficient and proper operation of the facility… The [Stormwater] Utility… shall provide for inspection of private facilities to ascertain that the stormwater facilities are functioning as designed and approved.”
For Your Information
The City of Orlando Streets and Stormwater Division actively enforces codes related to stormwater systems and ponds. The division prefers to work with the property owners proactively to prevent code noncompliance issues, rather than imposing fines through code enforcement actions.
In many cases a contractor must be hired to perform the work. Make sure all erosion control BMPs are in place and in good working condition. Not turbid discharge is allowed. It is the responsibility of the property owners to determine if each contractor has the necessary licenses and liability coverage to perform work within the City of Orlando.
Maintenance Tasks: Property Management
- Develop Inspection and Maintenance Plan according to the type of stormwater system on-site.
- Do not place yard waste including leaves, grass clippings or brush into the stormwater pond(s) and prevent all yard waste from entering storm drains located in the streets or parking lots. These materials release excess nutrients as they decompose and will lead to more algae growth in the pond.
- Do not dump any materials (i.e., paint, solvents, concrete, oil, gasoline, etc.) in the stormwater system. Improperly disposed of materials will pollute our stormwater system. Remember, ONLY Rain Down the Drain!
- Pick up and properly dispose of pet waste to help reduce harmful bacteria and excess nutrients in our stormwater system.
- Reduce fertilizer use, only use 0 Phosphorus fertilizers and 65% slow release Nitrogen fertilizers. Keep fertilizers on the lawn and not on paved areas. Stormwater contains high nutrient levels, so fertilizer use within dry ponds is NOT necessary. There should be no fertilizer use within 25 feet of a body of water.
- Provide educational updates to the property owners or residents. Discuss maintenance plans at meetings, provide information in newsletters and HOA clean up days. Label storm drains with “No Dumping” signs.
Minimum Suggested Pond Maintenance:
Dry Ponds
- Mow and properly remove grass/vegetation when growth exceeds 18 inches
- Prevent the establishment of woody stemmed plants (i.e., shrubs and trees).
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Wet Ponds
- Inspect for unpermitted vegetation.
- Prevent establishment of unpermitted trees and shoreline plantings.
- Inspect for trash or other debris that may be blocking the inlet or outlet pipes including bleed down orifice.
- Inspect side slopes, berms and spillways for erosion.
- Repair slopes and damaged sod immediately following an erosion event.
- Inspect basin for signs of chemicals (solvents, gas, diesel, paint, oil). Locate source and remove/dispose of properly.
- Remove sediment to permitted design.
- Inspect for and remove excess sediment accumulation in the pond bottom.
- Remove sediment to permitted design.
- Inspect and clean the stormwater system and catch basins. If applicable, inspect and clean exfiltration systems every 2 years per engineering standards in section 7.05.07 of the Engineering Standards Manual(PDF, 3MB).
- If applicable, clean out underdrains.
- Cleaning and root removal methods will vary with pipe material.
The above tasks are only suggestions.
The city pond inspector will perform a more thorough inspection that includes additional components not listed above.
Prior to contracting an organization for a copy of the plans, be sure to have:
This information can be obtained from tax records or the Orange County Property Appraiser’s Office:
For a copy of pond plans, please contact:
City Records and Archive Management Services:
407.246.2148
records@orlando.gov
Orlando City Hall (Second Floor)
400 South Orange Avenue, P.O. Box 4990,
Orlando, FL 32802
or Request a Public Record
Orange County Records
Orange County Comptroller
For more information:
St. Johns River Water Management District
407.659.4800
clerk@sjrwmd.com
2501 South Binion Road, Apopka, FL 32703
South Florida Water Management District
561.686.8800
publicrecords@sfwmd.gov
1707 Orlando Central Parkway #200, Orlando, FL 32809