Many retail and commercial establishments and homeowners associations have storm water management devices installed under City regulations and have maintenance agreements to perform inspections and to provide routine and emergency maintenance. The City also has these same type of facilities and have the same responsibilities.  They are called BMP’s for short. 

Best Management Practices are solutions or partial solutions to reduce the impact of stormwater runoff either on the quantity of flow coming off the site and the quality of the flow. They can be structural, that is built or constructed of earth, wood, metal or plastic or non-structural such as zoning ordinances, code requirements or homeowner association regulations.

In Colonial Heights the structural types most commonly used are stormwater basins either retention (wet) or detention (dry). Most of these are above ground and can be seen; however there are several constructed by placing large pipes underground to hold the required volume. There are also some areas where parking lot storage is used by reducing the size of curb cuts or outlets. Initially, the reason to construct a BMP was to reduce the peak flow running off the land being developed to counter the increased runoff caused by reducing the pervious area (treed or grassed area).  When pavement and buildings are constructed or even if the natural soil is compacted, more of the rainfall will runoff into the local streams and rivers.  The BMP’s purpose was to restrict this increased flow by holding it on site and releasing it more slowly. In some cases, BMP’s allow more infiltration into the ground.

BMP’s are regulated under two ordinances in Colonial Heights. The Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance adopted on August 10, 1976 Chapter 241 governs BMP’s constructed for quantity control of stormwater runoff, and the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Overlay District ordanance adopted on September 12, 1990 governs BMP’s constructed for water quality.

After the passage of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act the City of Colonial Heights outlined the areas called Resource Protection Areas (RPA) and Resource Management Areas (RMA). Land located with the RPA cannot be built on whereas land within the RMA can be built on with restrictions.

If you have a BMP on your property, it is necessary to perform a regular inspection and to perform some maintenance to keep the BMP working effectively to control the outflow and to continue reducing the pollution.  An inspection should be conducted on an annual basis and after each storm.

A simplified checklist follows and a more detailed checklist for retention and detention basins is available on this same website

BMP Inspection Checklist

Routine self inspection of your BMP is the best way to catch potential problems before they become a liability. The following is a guide to get you started. Answering YES to any of these questions indicates a need for corrective action or consultation with a professional inspector. We encourage you to copy this checklist and maintain a record of your inspections.

Answer Yes/No to the following questions

• Does the facility show signs of settling, cracking, bulging, misalignment or other structural deterioration?
• Do the embankments, emergency spiliways, side slopes or inlet/outlet structures show signs of erosion?
• Is the outlet pipe damaged or not functioning properly?
• Do the impoundment and inlet areas show erosion, low spots or lack of stabilization?
• Is woody vegetation that may interfere with the facility’s performance present on the banks?
• Is there evidence of animal burrows?
• Are contributing areas unstabilized with evidence of erosion?
• Do vegetated areas need mowing or is there a build up of clippings that could clog the facility?
• Does the depth of sediment pose a threat to storage volume?
• Is there standing water in appropriate areas? In inappropriate areas?
• Is there accumulation of trash or debris?
• Is there evidence of encroachment or improper use of the impounded areas?
• Are there signs of vandalism?
• Do any safety devices such as fences, gates or locks need repair?
• Is there excessive algae or dominance of one type of vegetation?
• Is there evidence of automotive fluids entering or clogging the facility?
• Is there evidence of a fish kill?

Source: HRStorm, Hampton Roads Planning district Commission, Chesapeake, VA

A more detailed checklist is attatched