About:
The Stormwater Master Plan was adopted by Florence City Council on September 8, 2025, and is a living document and serves as guidance for prioritizing projects over the next 20 years.
It is intended to be revisited frequently, at least every five years, to ensure that it remains relevant and effective. This plan should not be viewed as a final product but rather as a roadmap for future planning and as a reference tool for City leaders.
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Stormwater Master Plan Frequently Asked Questions:
The stormwater system in any community consists of the natural and man-made drainage features and structures that transport rainfall throughout the community. This consists of drainage features on individual properties – roof gutters, ditches in the yard, or culverts under the driveway; or larger features such as inlet boxes in parking lots, large underground pipes, ponds and even streams - Jeffries Creek, Pye Branch and Middle Swamp are all part of the City’s stormwater system!
A stormwater master plan is a comprehensive assessment of the existing stormwater system and the development of a defined approach to address existing and future stormwater needs. A stormwater master plan looks to address existing and future flooding concerns, while also trying to make the stormwater runoff (rainfall that is collected by the stormwater system) as clean and free of debris and pollutants as possible.
A master plan looks at how stormwater runoff is directed through the stormwater system, and how this system impacts the community and downstream lakes, rivers, and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.
A stormwater master plan evaluates causes of existing flooding and water quality concerns and identifies areas for improvements to meet the future needs of the community. It evaluates both man-made infrastructure and natural waterways under existing and future development conditions.
As the City of Florence has grown over time, the amount of stormwater runoff has increased as the amount of land development has reduced the amount of land area available for runoff to infiltrate into the ground. Therefore, in many areas of Florence, pipes which were large enough to handle normal rain events are now too small to convey the increased stormwater runoff. Additionally, as pipes get older, they are less effective at carrying stormwater volume.
Sediment that is contained in stormwater can lead to clogging of pipes and natural waterways, contributing to the stormwater system’s reduced effectiveness. The City needs to evaluate the system in order to develop an effective approach for upgrading and repairing the existing system as well as adding new infrastructure to the stormwater system to accommodate growth.
This master plan development process will identify areas of need and determine a cost and schedule for stormwater system improvements. This will allow the City to better plan and allocate funding to reduce flooding and improve water quality.
Because of increased land development large storm events such as severe thunderstorms and hurricanes significantly stress the City’s stormwater system and cause widespread flooding as well as water quality concerns. However, most flooding problems associated with the stormwater system occur during small, more frequent rain events.
As you may have noticed over the last several years, these smaller events are occurring more frequently. Flooding during these times is often related to a lack of sufficient infrastructure due to increased development or aging infrastructure that needs to be upgraded.
The master plan will focus on identifying areas impacted during these smaller storms and developing a solution to reduce the potential for frequent flooding in these areas.
Stormwater concerns can come in all shapes and sizes, including small ponding of water in the roadway, flooded yards, impassable streets, discoloured or foul-smelling stormwater runoff, or deposition of sediment after a storm event.
Fortunately, the City has a staff of highly trained professionals and engineering consultants that can address almost any stormwater concern you may have.
There are a variety of ways to get in contact with our team. We will be hosting four (4) public meetings to have an interactive dialogue with the community to identify and understand flooding and water quality concerns throughout the City.
You may also reach out to Martin Fox, the City of Florence Engineer, at mfox@cityofflorence.com.
As part of the stormwater master plan, the City will be assessing water quality issues within the City.
The master plan will address drainage, flooding and water quality concerns to create a holistic plan to maintain the waterways in Florence as high-quality natural community amenities.