Stormwater Management
The Township Code has a section dedicated to the rules and requirements for managing stormwater. Coupled with the Township's floodplain management regulations, stormwater management serves to:
- Protect human life and health;
- Minimize the expenditure of public money for costly flood-control projects;
- Minimmize the need for rescue and relief efforts related to flood events;
- Minimize prolonged business interuptions;
- Minimize damage to public facilities and infrastructure;
- Maintain a stable tax base by ensuring development and site improvements are completed responsibly;
- Promoting water quality for our rivers and streams.
Development and site-improvements in Cranford and communities all along the Rahway River have cumulative impacts that cannot be understated. As more natural surfaces are covered with pavement or buildings the more runoff flows into our infrastructure and the Rahway River and at a faster rate. The impact of increased runoff during shorter durations means that even average rain events may lead to the Rahway river swelling and potentially spilling over its banks. During extreme rain events, such as Hurricane Irene, when upwards of 10 inches of rain fell around Cranford, the Rahwell River crested at approximately 10 feet above its average level and more than 4 feet above flood stage. As impervious cover increases, we can expect flood events to happen more frequently due to lesser rain events or during short duration, high intensity rain events.
For that reason, the Township has taken an aggressive stance in managing stormwater. For any and all projects in the Township that increase impervious coverage in excess of 300 ft2, property owners are required to include stormwater mitigation measures in their projects. This typically comes in the form of a drywell being placed on the property in order to offset the increased runoff from the property. Once a project increases impervious coverage by more than 1,000 ft2, property owners or developers are required include a maintenance and repair plan for the stormwater management measures incorporated into the design of the project.
Please review §364 of the Township Code for the full text, requirements, and regulations for Stormwater Management.
Updated March 7, 2020