The Stormwater Facility Maintenance Program is responsible for inspecting and ensuring maintenance of all public and private stormwater management facilities within Montgomery County. The program is paid for by the Water Quality Protection Charge. It is vital that the structures be maintained in working order so they function as intended, providing protection and stormwater management for our parks, schools, and businesses.
Inspection and Maintenance
Stormwater facilities can become clogged by trash, debris, sediment and mud, or other stormwater pollutants. The facilities themselves can develop structural cracks and leaks over time. When this valuable infrastructure functions well, it:
Prevents flooding in our urban environment
Removes pollution carried by stormwater
Recharges the groundwater supply
Protects local stream banks from highly erosive flows
Protects public health
The Stormwater Facility Maintenance Program has an Inspection section that inspects all stormwater facilities in the County every three years. The inspection is used to determine a facility's condition and to identify its need for maintenance. Without proper inspections and maintenance, we would not know when a facility has failed. Once a facility fails the cost of repairs are expensive and can result in property damage or other loss. Providing routine maintenance and inspections can keep the stormwater facilities working as intended, save money, property, and protect public safety.
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Green Practices for Property Management Seminar Series
Please join Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection for two free seminars for commercial
and residential property managers and homeowner’s associations.
Seminar 1 - Stormwater Facilities: What do I need to know?
Wednesday, June 19 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Seminar 2 – RainScapes: What are they?
Tuesday, June 25 – 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Executive Office Building, Lobby Level Auditorium
101 Monroe Street
Rockville, MD 20850
Fact Sheet applies to nearly all commercial owners and to residential owners that have not transferred their structural maintenance to Montgomery County
Sand Filter or Infiltration Trench
Sand Filters and Infiltration Trenches can have both structural and non-structural maintenance.
Fact Sheet applies to nearly all commercial owners and to residential owners that have not transferred their structural maintenance to Montgomery County
Fact Sheet applies to nearly all commercial owners and to residential owners that have not transferred their structural maintenance to Montgomery County
Belowground Stormwater Facility
The Belowground Stormwater Facility Maintenance Fact Sheets describe typical structural maintenance, such as power-washing, removing sediment and debris, and replacing filters.
Environmental Site Design (ESD)/Low Impact Development (LID) practices are smaller practices meant to capture the stormwater runoff from roofs, driveways, and parking lots on the same property. Overall maintenance is routine landscaping and removing tree debris and trash.
These fact sheets include useful information for property owners that live next to a bioswale, rain garden or porous pavement stormwater practice located within the County owned right-of-way. The right-of-way is located next to the road and may include a vegetated or grassed area and/or a sidewalk.
The interactive map below shows all of the County's stormwater facilities. The colored dots represent different types of stormwater facilities. Clicking on a dot will reveal that particular facilities type. Read the next section, "How do stormwater facilities work?", to learn about what the different types of facilities do.
Who has responsibility for Maintenance of Stormwater Facilities?
Facility
Maintenance Responsibility
Residential stormwater facility
Residential properties: DEP's Stormwater Facility Maintenance
Program works with citizens to assume responsibility for structural
maintenance for all new residential stormwater facilities and older
residential facilities once the property owner has completed the
maintenance transfer process.
Once the facility has completed the transfer process, DEP will assume
responsibility for the structural maintenance and the owner will continue
to provide non-structural maintenance to their facility. The facility
still is owned by the owner, DEP only assumes the structural maintenance responsibility.
Nonstructural maintenance: For all facilities, nonstructural
maintenance is the responsibility of the owner. This maintenance
includes grass cutting, trash removal, and landscaping.
Nonstructural maintenance: For all facilities, nonstructural
maintenance is the responsibility of the owner. This maintenance
includes grass cutting, trash removal, and landscaping.
Local government stormwater facility
Montgomery County assumes responsibility for both Structural and Non-Structural maintenance.
Who can perform your Stormwater Facility Maintenance?
All stormwater facility maintenance contractors working in Montgomery
County are required to have a Certificate of Attendance from the Department
of Environmental Protection's Stormwater Facility Maintenance Contractor
Training. Once contractors have been certified, they will be placed on a
list of contractors approved by the County for maintenance of stormwater
facilities. Please click here for more information on the Stormwater Facility
Maintenance Contractor Training and the approved contractors list.
The Stormwater Facility Maintenance Program is responsible for inspecting and ensuring maintenance of all public and private stormwater management facilities within Montgomery County. The program is paid for by the 
button to start the slideshow. To view descriptions of the photos, start the slideshow and enter fullscreen mode by clicking the 
button. Then click the "Show Info" link at the upper right corner of the screen.
