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What is a Stormwater Management Plan and why do I need one?The land development industry is regulated by the municipality, engineers, surveyors and conservation authorities whose roles are to ensure proposed developments adequately address urban or rural planning guidelines, zoning, public safety, provincial construction standards and environmental issues. From an environmental perspective, the Province of Ontario can be divided into several 'watersheds' or 'catchments' for which the hydrologic cycle can be applied. Rainfall events are eventually directed to streams and rivers by existing road and sewer networks, ditches and culverts and overland. As land development increases, so does the need to control the quantity and quality of rainfall runoff generated from impervious (asphalt) areas so that our rivers are not taxed by debris or large fluctuations in water temperature (Fisheries Act). Each watershed has an official plan designed to regulate this control and outlines measures of how to effectively apply this control to proposed developments. A Stormwater Management Plan for a development typically addresses a means by which stormwater runoff is collected, stored (possibly treated), infiltrated and/or slowly released into the environment thereby promoting the quality and quantity controls stipulated by the governing conservation authority.
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