Stormwater
The City of Austell Stormwater Division provides maintenance and construction upgrades for our stormwater infrastructure inside the Right-of-Way. Stormwater is the water that originates from rain and other precipitation events. Stormwater can soak into the soil, be held on the surface and evaporate, or runoff into lakes, streams and other local waterbodies. Stormwater runoff collects in lakes and streams by flowing over land, or by moving through a system of stormwater pipes. In communities with impervious surfaces that do not allow the stormwater runoff to soak into the ground, stormwater management is important to reduce flooding, and keep waterbodies from being damaged by pollutants. Unlike wastewater, stormwater is not treated at facilities and instead travels directly to local waterbodies. This means anything that stormwater picks up—like trash or pollutants—will go directly into our lakes and streams. As a result of decades of growth and development, bodies of water in the county have been affected by flooding and erosion, land development, road construction, littering, landscaping, lawn care, and other activities.The Stormwater Management Division, we manage both stormwater quantity and quality with a combination of operational and engineering practices.Austell mission is to provide management of issues related to the drainage of stormwater including upgrades and maintenance to the stormwater system. In efforts to control the flow of runoff water and to comply with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), the City of Austell monitors and enforces sediment and erosion control and cleanliness of stormwater runoff.
Floodplain
Flooding is the most common natural disaster in the United States. The City of Austell has experienced multiple flooding events, including the serious flooding event of September 2009. The City participates in FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS). Through this voluntary incentive program, that recognizes and encourage community floodplain management activities, the city earns credit for going beyond the minimum NFIP floodplain management requirements, which results in residents receiving a discount on their flood insurance premiums. The city currently has a CRS classification of 5, meaning residents receive a 25% discount on their flood insurance premiums each year. The city’s participation in the CRS is maintained by the Stormwater Management Division.