This handbook provides information on local watersheds, why and how stormwater is managed in Carrboro and the responsibilities of residential property owners and the Town. One goal is to convey the collective impact of many distributed and similar activities on the larger watershed, its aquatic ecosystems, and other residents. Another is to communicate that drainage and flooding problems in and around your home can be costly and damaging, and potentially create problems for your neighbors.  

The guidelines below could remedy many drainage or flooding problems you may encounter and help you design residential landscapes that are friendlier to local creeks and other residents. If you have an unusual problem or specific question that isn’t addressed, reach out to the Town stormwater staff. See Appendix 1 for more detailed contact information.

These four points are explored in this manual:

1. Residential lots exist within a nested series of watersheds. Since Carrboro’s land use is predominately residential, homeowners and residents affect our local creeks’ and communities’ capacity for resilience in a time of more frequent and intense storms.
2. Carrboro regulates stormwater within its jurisdiction and is also regulated by state and federal agencies.
3. Drainage, flooding and floodplains, runoff, stormwater, creeks, watersheds, buffers, drainage easements, and other terms are interrelated but not synonymous. Better understanding of these terms and the concepts they refer to will facilitate better communication in the community.
4. This manual includes responses to many of the most frequent questions and requests the Town receives from residents and property owners.

Carrboro's Stormwater Mission Statement

Our mission is to protect and restore local and downstream surface waters and support resilience and quality of life and place in relation to rainfall and runoff.