Stormwater Notice of Violation in DC, VA, MD

What Is a Notice of Violation?

A Notice of Violation is a notice that commercial property owners or managers might receive from the Environmental Protection Agency or local government informing them of a violation of the stormwater management ordinance. The notice you receive will typically include details of what part of your stormwater management system is not in compliance and what action needs to be taken to rectify the issue.

You may receive a Notice of Violation following a routine county inspection or from an anonymous complaint. If this happens, property owners have a limited amount of time (typically 30 days) to make repairs and corrections to your property.

If you have recently been served a Notice of Violation, know that iSTORMWATER is here to help. We are experts at quickly restoring stormwater management systems to be compliant and well-functioning and working with local authorities to resolve the violation. In addition, we can then provide stormwater management inspections to help you avoid any more violations in the future.

For Notice of Violation assistance in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, DC, please call iSTORMWATER at (410) 231-3455 or contact us online. We also offer services in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and North Carolina!

Understand Why You Received a Stormwater Notice of Violation

There are many reasons why your property might have received an NOV. Some possibilities include:

• Improper site preparation: Years ago, when your commercial facility or residential community was first built, the developer may have failed to prepare the site properly for long-term soil stability. The building(s) may also have been erected in a less-than-ideal location on your plot, resulting in erosion, sinkholes, and cracked foundations.
• Changes to local conditions: New weather patterns could make water management difficult with your existing systems, especially if they were only meant to be temporary solutions. Construction on or around your property can also change water runoff patterns, creating problems that resulted in a violation.
• Neglect or improper maintenance: The municipal government may have failed to keep up with the drainage and stormwater management needs of the area. As a building owner or community manager, it’s also your responsibility to keep up with routine stormwater inspections and maintenance. Things such as broken cleanouts, downed fences, sediment buildup, and trash accumulation are all problems that could put you in violation of local government, EPA, and HOA requirements.

What To Do if You Receive a Stormwater NOV

If you get a Notice of Violation in the mail, you have no choice but to comply. Failure to correct the issues outlined in your NOV within the allotted time could result in civil penalties (fines) of hundreds or even thousands of dollars per day that the violation continues.

Contact iSTORMWATER right away and share the notice of violation with us. Our team will work quickly to understand your issue and work with local authorities to regulatory requirements and bring your stormwater system back to compliance.

How To Prevent Future Stormwater Violations

Once you get your Notice of Violation straightened out, you want to remain in compliance from here on out. The key is to choose iSTORMWATER as your stormwater management consultant. We provide a wide array of stormwater management tasks to help apartment complexes and office buildings, HOAs, shopping malls, urban land developments, and others achieve and maintain compliance. These services include:

• Creating customized stormwater inspection and maintenance plans to prepare your site for stormwater runoff
• Performing erosion control measures
• Inspecting, maintaining, repairing, and updating aboveground and belowground stormwater management facilities
• Providing you with documentation of our stormwater inspections for your records
• And more

Frequently Asked Questions About Stormwater Violation Notices

What does a stormwater violation look like?

The violation will look different depending on the issuing authority. This notice will typically contain the property address, date of inspection, the inspector’s name, and a list of all passing and failing components of the stormwater system.

Violations notices may include photos of the property and a detailed description of the weather conditions during the inspection. The team at iSTORMWATER will review these specific violations and survey your property to determine what work needs to be done to clear the violation.

What are the most common stormwater violations?

One common violation we see is excessive vegetation and erosion issues in and along pond banks and infiltration trenches. These issues are often avoided with regular inspections and maintenance.

Some of the major violations we see are corroded storm pipes or filtration cartridges that need to be replaced. With proper maintenance, property owners and property managers can plan for these expenses and not be surprised by stormwater violations.

How long will it take to correct a stormwater violation?

The time it will take to correct a violation greatly depends on the severity of the violation itself. However, the iSTORMWATER team will work quickly to assess the issue and show forward progress to the authority who issued the violation. In most cases, the regulating authority will offer an extension if the problem is being actively addressed.

If you’re looking at a violation notice, it’s time to call us. (410) 231-3455. Our team will review your issue and get to work.