Jun 13, 2007 ../pictures/thumbnails/00210-Rule5MtgCrowd-tn.jpg A brief description of the Indiana State Law governing Construction Site Stormwater Pollution Prevention.

Builders/Developers and Stormwater - Further Reading

Rule 5

Rule 5 Meeting

Rule 5 (327 IAC 15-5) is a state law aimed at preventing stormwater pollution at construction sites. The rule is intended to protect Indiana's rivers, lakes, and wetlands from sediment and other pollutants that could run off of construction sites during rain events.

Sediment, or displaced soil, is the number one pollutant of surface water, by volume — that's why it's the biggest focus of this rule. Sediment in lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands results in poor water quality, diminished recreational use, reduced storage capacity, reduced floodwater retention, degradation of aquatic life, and depreciated property values. Several communities downstream of Elkhart County rely on surface water as their drinking water source; they have to remove any pollutants we put in. Sediment removal, water treatment, and property repairs are costly. It's cheaper to prevent these problems than to correct them. Sensible land-use planning and relatively inexpensive management practices can prevent, or at least minimize, the impact of many erosion and sedimentation problems.

Construction site erosion generates more sediment in a short period of time than any other land disturbing activity. Research has found that erosion rates from construction sites are ten times higher than those measured on row croplands and more than 100 times higher than erosion rates on well-vegetated lands. Other pollutants associated with construction include oil leaks, fuel spills, and concrete washout areas.

Other laws and programs deal with stormwater pollution prevention from agricultural, residential, and industrial land use. Everybody has to do their part to keep Indiana's waters clean.