About Us

The Cobb County Stormwater Management (CCSWMD) is a Division of the Cobb County Water System and is currently divided into four Sections:

• Stormwater Operations
• Plan Review
• Water Quality
• Basin Planning

Stormwater repair and maintenance is performed by the Operations Section of the Stormwater Management Division. This section is responsible for maintaining stormwater infrastructure in unincorporated Cobb County which has been formally dedicated to and accepted by Cobb County for perpetual maintenance. Most commonly, this formal dedication and acceptance process is handled through the recordation of a Final Plat. The maintenance of dedicated stormwater infrastructure is currently limited to the structural components of the stormwater conveyance system (i.e. pipes and ponds) and does not include maintenance activities related to open drainage systems, such as streams, creeks ditches and/or other open drainage easements (refer to Section 110-61 (f) in the Cobb County Code or online).

Currently the Operations Section is staffed by 20 persons.

Plan Review is one of the two regulatory sections of the Stormwater Management Division. This section is responsible for:

• Reviewing the Stormwater Management aspects of new development and redevelopment proposals in the County.
• Ensure compliance with the Cobb County Code, the Cobb County Development Standards and specific stipulations set by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners relative to property rezoning.
• Review all Rezoning and Variance applications to ensure compliance with all Federal, State and local requirements pertaining to flood mitigation and water quality protection.

Currently, the Plan Review Section is staffed by three persons.

Water Quality is another regulatory branch of the Stormwater Management Division. This Section is responsible for:

• Maintaining Cobb County’s compliance with:
  • The federal and state mandated National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) MS4 permit; with the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (i.e. “the District) requirements pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 12-5-582(a).
  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Community Rating System (CRS) for setting flood insurance premiums.
• Collect samples as required under the provisions of Cobb County’s NPDES permit.
• Monitor Cobb County’s network of rain gages.
• Report water quality violations.
• Work with the offending parties to have violations to the Clean Water Act corrected.

Currently the Water Quality Section is staffed by three environmental compliance persons.

Basin Planning is the section of CCSWM responsible for performing storm drainage design; compiling the comprehensive countywide storm drainage structure inventory database; updating and expanding countywide flood plain mapping; and preparing long-term comprehensive basin-wide stormwater management capital improvement master plans for Cobb County.

This Section is responsible for:

• Updating the FEMA flood insurance study maps for Cobb County.
• Planning structural and non-structural Capital Improvements to Cobb County’s Stormwater Master Plan.
• Updating CCSWM’s hydrologic (HEC-1) and hydraulic (HEC-2 or HEC-RAS) basin simulation models.
• Creating and improving CCSWM’s planning maps, including:
  • Stream buffer maps
  • Monitoring station location maps
  • Rain gage maps
  • Floodplain purchase tracking maps
• Performing hydrologic and hydraulic basin studies to independently evaluate the effect of urbanization on downstream properties.
• Designing storm drainage pipe upgrades to Cobb County’s stormwater management infrastructure.
• Developing a database and tracking system for CCSWM storm drainage structure inventory.

Currently the Basin Planning Section is staffed by one person


Links to other Stormwater Related Sites

• Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District



• Georgia Stormwater Management Manual (EPD & ARC)



• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
  National Flood Insurance Program



• Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division
  GAEPD’s website)



• State of Georgia Environmental Regulations



• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Strategic Plan
  Region 4



• State of Georgia DNR - EPD’s Safe Dams Program



• Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission



• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)



• National Weather Service Quantitative Precipitation Forcasting (QPC)



• Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, Peachtree City, Atlanta

• Cobb County Emergency Management Agency



• Southeast River Forecast Center

• U.S. Bureau Safety Evaluation and Visual Inspection of Existing Dams (August 2009)