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1. When do I need a Grading/ESC Permit?

All Single Family Residential Construction and Any Project Disturbing 5,000 square feet or more, within the City of Owatonna are required under the Stormwater Management Ordinance to obtain a Grading / Erosion and Sediment Control (ESC) Permit from the Engineering Department.

Please visit the Construction Stormwater page for further information as well as access to applications and fees.

2. What is Low Impact Development?

Low Impact Development or LID is a stormwater management approach and site-design technique that emphasizes water infiltration, values water as a resource and promotes the use of natural systems to treat water runoff. Low impact development is a way to mimic the natural process and to avoid water pollution.

3. What are Low Impact Development Practices?

Low impact development approach employs distribution management techniques, called integrated management practices (IMPs). LID IMPs are used to satisfy storage and infiltration of stormwater. 

Management practices that are suited to low impact development include:

• Bioretention facilities
• Disconnecting roof drains
• Infiltration swales and trenches
• Rain Barrels
• Rain Gardens
• Vegetative buffers and strips

4. How does Low Impact Development affect Owatonna?

The City of Owatonna was awarded a $500,000 Low Impact Development (LID) grant in June 2008 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The grant will assist the city with development of stormwater management infrastructure designed to reduce the volume and rate of runoff and ultimately improve water quality.

The grant funds will be used to complete several LID projects in various locations throughout the city. The projects are designed to address flooding issues in the city and promote LID practices that will result in fewer problems in the future. The city has outlined the following objectives to implement LID practices:

• Education for City Council and Staff
• Mosher Rainwater Garden
• Porous Pavement Alleys
• Project Signage and Reports
• Rose Street Parking Lot Rainwater Garden
• Zoning Code Revisions