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Chapter 2, Submission, Review, and Approval Procedures, outlines the steps required to obtain the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) Stormwater Plan Review or Stormwater Billing and Incentives approvals, where PWD certifies that a project complies with, or is exempt from, the PWD Stormwater Regulations (Stormwater Regulations). Before using Chapter 2, the applicant must review Chapter 1 to learn the basics of the Stormwater Regulations and understand the applicability factors that determine if the Stormwater Regulations apply to the project and, if so, which specific requirement(s) apply.

Using the three Stormwater Regulation applicability factors described in Section 1.1 along with the guidance in this Chapter, the applicant can determine a project’s required submission and review process to obtain stormwater management approval or exemption.

2.0.1 Understanding PWD’s Stormwater Review Process

Basic Terms Used in this Chapter

Review Path – A linear series of submission, review, and approval/exemption procedures the applicant will navigate to demonstrate a project’s compliance with, or exemption from, the Stormwater Regulations.

Review Phase – A step in a Review Path. Each Review Path has one or more Phases. Each Phase corresponds to one or more submissions of information for PWD’s review.

Submission Package – A set of documents, such as plans, reports, calculations, worksheets, and forms, submitted to PWD at each Review Phase of each Review Path.

As stated in Chapter 1, PWD reviews all projects in the City of Philadelphia that generate earth disturbance of 5,000 square feet or more. A project’s Review Path varies depending on the type of project, the project’s location, and the project’s earth disturbance area. Projects will fall under one of four major Review Paths:

  • Development Compliance
  • Development Exemption
  • Demolition
  • Stormwater Retrofit

These Review Paths each have one or more Review Phases, and each Review Phase consists of the following:

  1. A submission package from the applicant to PWD containing required information about the project
  2. A PWD review of the applicant’s submission package
  3. Issuance of approval by PWD for the applicant to proceed to the next Review Phase or final approval if in the terminal phase
    OR
    Issuance of review comments by PWD to the applicant that must be addressed through resubmission by the applicant to PWD

2.0.2 How to Use This Chapter

Chapter 2 consists of seven Sections, which are listed and described below. A first-time applicant is encouraged to read all Sections sequentially, while others should feel free to use only the Sections of Chapter 2 that are most appropriate for a given project.

Having worked through Chapter 2 to gain an understanding of the applicable Review Path and submission requirements, the applicant may use Chapter 3 to develop a stormwater management strategy that meets the project’s stormwater management requirements.

If the applicant’s project is a Stormwater Retrofit, Chapter 2 can be used to understand the review process for the project, which varies from the other Review Paths. Applicants are also encouraged to review Section 1.3 of this Manual for more information on Stormwater Retrofit projects. They can also contact Stormwater Billing and Incentives with any questions on how to apply this Manual to their project.

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