The following minimum standards shall apply for all construction
and development proposed within any identified floodplain area:
1. Fill. If fill is used, it shall:
A. Extend laterally at least 15
feet beyond the building line from all points;
B. Consist of soil or small rock
materials only - sanitary landfills shall not be permitted;
C. Be compacted to provide the necessary
permeability and resistance to erosion, scouring, or settling;
D. Be no steeper than one vertical
to two horizontal feet unless substantiated data justifying steeper
slopes are submitted to and approved by the Floodplain Administrator;
and
E. Be used to the extent to which
it does not adversely affect adjacent properties.
2. Drainage facilities. Storm drainage
facilities shall be designed to convey the flow of stormwater runoff
in a safe and efficient manner. The system shall ensure proper drainage
along streets, and provide positive drainage away from buildings.
The system shall also be designed to prevent the discharge of excess
runoff onto adjacent properties.
3. Water and sanitary sewer facilities
and systems.
A. All new or replacement water
supply and sanitary sewer facilities and systems shall be located,
designed and constructed to minimize or eliminate flood damages and
the infiltration of floodwaters.
B. Sanitary sewer facilities and
systems shall be designed to prevent the discharge of untreated sewage
into floodwaters.
C. No part of any on-site waste
disposal system shall be located within any identified floodplain
area except in strict compliance with all state and local regulations
for such systems. If any such system is permitted, it shall be located
so as to avoid impairment to it, or contamination from it, during
a flood.
D. The design and construction provisions
of the UCC and FEMA No. 348, "Protecting Building Utilities From Flood
Damages," and the International Private Sewage Disposal Code shall
be utilized.
4. Other utilities. All other utilities
such as gas lines, electrical and telephone systems shall be located,
elevated (where possible) and constructed to minimize the chance of
impairment during a flood.
5. Streets. The finished elevation
of all new streets shall be no more than one foot below the regulatory
flood elevation.
6. Storage. All materials that are buoyant, flammable, explosive, or in times of flooding, could be injurious to human, animal, or plant life, and not listed in §
8-504, Development which may endanger human life, shall be stored at or above the regulatory flood elevation or floodproofed to the maximum extent possible.
7. Placement of buildings and structures.
All buildings and structures shall be designed, located, and constructed
so as to offer the minimum obstruction to the flow of water and shall
be designed to have a minimum effect upon the flow and height of floodwater.
8. Anchoring.
A. All buildings and structures
shall be firmly anchored in accordance with accepted engineering practices
to prevent flotation, collapse, or lateral movement.
B. All air ducts, large pipes, storage
tanks, and other similar objects or components located below the regulatory
flood elevation shall be securely anchored or affixed to prevent flotation.
9. Floors, walls and ceilings.
A. Wood flooring used at or below
the regulatory flood elevation shall be installed to accommodate a
lateral expansion of the flooring, perpendicular to the flooring grain
without causing structural damage to the building.
B. Plywood used at or below the
regulatory flood elevation shall be of a marine or water-resistant
variety.
C. Walls and ceilings at or below
the regulatory flood elevation shall be designed and constructed of
materials that are water-resistant and will withstand inundation.
D. Windows, doors, and other components
at or below the regulatory flood elevation shall be made of metal
or other water-resistant material.
10. Paints and adhesives.
A. Paints and other finishes used
at or below the regulatory flood elevation shall be of marine or water-resistant
quality.
B. Adhesives used at or below the
regulatory flood elevation shall be of a marine or water-resistant
variety.
C. All wooden components (doors,
trim, cabinets, etc.) used at or below the regulatory flood elevation
shall be finished with a marine or water-resistant paint or other
finishing material.
11. Electrical components.
A. Electrical distribution panels
shall be at least three feet above the base flood elevation.
B. Separate electrical circuits
shall serve lower levels and shall be dropped from above.
12. Equipment. Water heaters, furnaces,
air-conditioning and ventilating units, and other electrical, mechanical
or utility equipment or apparatus shall not be located below the regulatory
flood elevation.
13. Fuel supply systems. All gas
and oil supply systems shall be designed to prevent the infiltration
of floodwaters into the system and discharges from the system into
floodwaters. Additional provisions shall be made for the drainage
of these systems in the event that floodwater infiltration occurs.
14. Uniform Construction Code coordination.
The standards and specifications contained 34 Pa. Code (Chapters 401
through 405), as amended and not limited to the following provisions
shall apply to the above and other sections and subsections of this
chapter, to the extent that they are more restrictive and supplement
the requirements of this chapter.
A. International Building Code
(IBC) 2009 or the latest edition thereof: Secs. 801, 1202, 1403, 1603,
1605, 1612, 3402, and Appendix G.
B. International Residential Building
Code (IRC) 2009 or the latest edition thereof: Secs. R104, R105, R109,
R322, Appendix E, and Appendix J.
Within any identified floodplain area, any structure of the kind described in Subsection
1 below shall be prohibited. If a variance is obtained in accordance with the criteria in Part
8, then the following provisions apply:
1. In accordance with the Pennsylvania
Flood Plain Management Act, and the regulations adopted by the Department of Community
and Economic Development as required by the Act, any new or substantially
improved structure which: will be used for the production or storage
of any of the following dangerous materials or substances; or will
be used for any activity requiring the maintenance of a supply of
more than 550 gallons, or other comparable volume, of any of the following
dangerous materials or substances on the premises; or will involve
the production, storage, or use of any amount of radioactive substances,
shall be subject to the provisions of this section, in addition to
all other applicable provisions. The following list of materials and
substances are considered dangerous to human life:
K. Nitric acid and oxides of nitrogen.
L. Petroleum products (gasoline,
fuel oil, etc.).
P. Sulphur and sulphur products.
Q. Pesticides (including insecticides,
fungicides, and rodenticides).
R. Radioactive substances, insofar
as such substances are not otherwise regulated.
2. Within any identified floodplain area, any new or substantially improved structure of the kind described in Subsection
1 above shall be prohibited within the area measured 50 feet landward from the top-of-bank of any watercourse.
3. Within any floodway area, any structure of the kind described in Subsection
1 above shall be prohibited. Where permitted within any identified floodplain area, any new or substantially improved residential structure of the kind described in § 8-504.1 above shall be elevated to remain completely dry up to at least 1 1/2 feet above base flood elevation and built in accordance with §§
8-501,
8-502 and
8-503.
4. Where permitted within any identified floodplain area, any new or substantially improved nonresidential structure of the kind described in § 8-504.1 above shall be built in accordance with §§
8-501,
8-502 and
8-503, including: elevated, or designed and constructed to remain completely dry up to at least 1 1/2 feet above base flood elevation, and designed to prevent pollution from the structure or activity during the course of a base flood. Any such structure, or part thereof, that will be built below the regulatory flood elevation shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the standards for completely dry floodproofing contained in the publication "Flood-Proofing Regulations (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, June 1972, as amended March 1992)," or with some other equivalent watertight standard.
All subdivision proposals and development proposals containing
at least 50 lots or at least five acres, whichever is the lesser,
in identified floodplain areas where base flood elevation data are
not available, shall be supported by hydrologic and hydraulic engineering
analyses that determine base flood elevations and floodway information.
The analyses shall be prepared by a licensed professional engineer
in a format required by FEMA for a conditional letter of map revision
and letter of map revision. Submittal requirements and processing
fees shall be the responsibility of the applicant.
Within any identified floodplain area recreational vehicles
shall be prohibited. If a variance is obtained in accordance with
the criteria in Part 8, then the following provisions apply:
1. Recreational vehicles in Zones
A, A1-30, AH and AE must either:
A. Be on the site for fewer than
180 consecutive days; and
B. Be fully licensed and ready for
highway use; or
C. Meet the permit requirements for manufactured homes in §
8-506.