Johnson County Stormwater Management Program

Program Areas

In Johnson County , stormwater management is a critical component of public safety and health and the economy of the community. Appropriate stormwater management supports the county's residential and commercial growth and will have a lasting impact on the future quality of life for the whole community.

Stormwater management is about protecting water quality and assessing and addressing the risks associated with flooding.

Water Quality

Johnson County is working with Johnson County communities and other communities, counties and local, regional, and state agencies in the Kansas City metropolitan region to reduce the discharge of pollutants to stormwater runoff. Reducing the discharge of pollutants to stormwater is accomplished through public education and outreach, public involvement and participation, illicit discharge detention and elimination, post construction runoff control, construction site runoff control and pollution prevention practices performed by municipalities.

The National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) mandates that the County and multiple cities within Johnson County reduce stormwater pollution to the maximum extent practicable. The SMP is assisting the County and cities with meeting the NPDES regulations by:

Providing a model stormwater management program plan
Funding public education and participating in outreach activities focusing on stormwater pollution
Creating model ordinances, procedures and manuals for cities to adopt
Providing employee training materials for municipal employees
Creating a central countywide stormwater pollution prevention hotline and an on-line illicit discharge report form

Localized Flooding

Floodplain Remapping

Johnson County and the 20 cities are working together to update Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulatory floodplain maps throughout the county. These maps identify areas of risk where stormwater may create problems for the health and safety of residents and their properties today and in the future.

The floodplain remapping goals are:

To reduce the risk of flooding
Minimize future property damage
Protect the public's health and safety
Coordinate with the development community to minimize the creation of future flooding problems that taxpayers will be responsible to pay for.

The new floodplain maps provide reclassified and designated floodplains that could mean one of four things for the owner of a home or business:

The property was in a floodplain before remapping and it is still in the floodplain.
The property was not in a floodplain before remapping and is still not in the floodplain.
The property was in a floodplain, but is no longer in one.
The property was not in a floodplain according to the existing map, but will be shown as being in a floodplain once the new maps take effect.

The biggest issue for most property owners will be whether they need flood insurance. Property owners should check with their lenders to determine if they need to purchase or continue to have flood insurance coverage.

For more information about floods, floodplains and flood insurance contact FEMA at www.fema.gov or call your city's floodplain administrator.

JOHNSON COUNTY STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
1800 W. 56 Highway
Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: (913) 715-8333
Fax: (913) 715-2453