Jump to main content.

Federal Stormwater Management Requirements

In This Section

The following federal requirements drive EPA and other federal agencies to practice stormwater management and implement sustainable stormwater practices:

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA)

Section 438 of EISA requires federal agencies to maintain or restore the predevelopment hydrology (the runoff volume, rate, temperature, and duration of flow that typically existed on the site before human-induced land disturbance occurred) of the site of any project with a footprint that exceeds 5,000 square feet.

Read the full text of EISA (310 pp, 821K, About PDF).

Executive Order (E.O.) 13423

E.O. 13423, issued in January 2007, requires federal agencies to implement the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings described below in all new construction and major renovation projects and in at least 15 percent of their existing building inventories by the end of FY 2015.

Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

In January 2006, EPA signed an MOU with 16 other federal agencies to promote high performance and sustainable buildings. On December 1, 2008, the Interagency Sustainability Working Group released a High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Guidance document that updated the MOU Guiding Principles and established Guiding Principles for Sustainable Existing Buildings. 

The Guiding Principles, which incorporate requirements from EISA, require agencies to employ design and construction strategies that reduce stormwater runoff, polluted site water runoff, and the use of potable water for irrigation. They promote the use of decentralized stormwater management design strategies to maintain or restore site hydrology to pre-development conditions and promote water-efficient landscaping and irrigation strategies.

Local Navigation

Jump to main content.