Departments

Stormwater Links Church Hill's Storm Sewer System Annual Report, Ending June 2017 Church Hill's Storm Water System Permit National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction Permit State of Tennessee's Erosion & Sediment Control Handbook Stormwater Runoff, The Effects of Pollution & Solutions Tennessee Farmers' Guide to Cleaner Water Tennessee Homeowners' Guide to Cleaner Water

Stormwater Management

The City of Church Hill is part of the urbanized area of Kingsport as designated by the Federal government. As such, we are a regulated stormwater community (technically known as a Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System-MS4). The MS4 program is administered by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The MS4 designation resulted in the City having to adopt procedures for managing stormwater. Yes, we must manage rain and snow melt once it is on the ground.

The stormwater program is governed by Chapter 14, Title 301, of the Municipal Code.

One focus of the regulation is requiring stormwater permits. If an area of an acre or more is being cleared/graded/ground cover disturbed or if the area is less than an acre but part of a larger common development, two stormwater permits are required for all projects other than agriculture (logging is considered to be agriculture).

One must be obtained from TDEC IAW their rules and another from the City of Church Hill Municipal Code. The City will not issue a permit until a copy of the TDEC permit is received. A grading permit which is required for all sites will not be issued until both stormwater permits are issued.

Citizen input is invited. You may call the stormwater manager, at (423) 676-1526 or call for an appointment. He will meet you at the problem area or in his office. Specific areas you may want to address are mud, silt, debris or other pollutants coming off construction sites, soap suds on the ground or in ditches, oil or other pollutants in waterways, or other dirty water concerns.

Citizens are especially asked to report any illicit discharges to the stormwater manager or City Hall. Illicit discharges are liquids other than rain water or snow melt getting on/in the ground. Illicit discharges are liquids such as straight line septic systems, bath tub or washing machines waste water by passing the septic or sanitary sewer, used oil, or similar discharges unless specifically exempt. We also need to know about illegal dumping. If you think it is wrong, report it and we will check it out. Anonymous reports are investigated.

We also welcome your stormwater comments/ideas. Please call the stormwater manager or attend and speak your concerns/ideas at the visitor comment section of Planning Commission and Board of Mayor and Aldermen meetings. We also put information on this site when a developer's stormwater plan is being considered by the Planning Commission. Time permitting; we also have a meeting for consideration of citizen concerns prior to submitting the plans to the Planning Commission. If you have heard about a development and have concerns about changes to water flows, please let us know. Once the plans are approved and work begins, it is difficult to make changes. "