The following minimum standards shall apply for all construction
and development proposed within any identified floodplain area:
A. Fill.
(1) 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.
B. 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.
C. Water and
Sanitary Sewer Facilities and Systems.
(1) All
new or replacement water supply and sanitary sewer facilities and
systems shall be located, designed and constructed to minimize or
eliminate flood damage and the infiltration of flood waters.
(2) Sanitary
sewer facilities and systems shall be designed to prevent the discharge
of untreated sewage into flood waters.
(3) 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.
(4) 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.
D. 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.
E. Streets.
The finished elevation of all new streets shall be no more than one
foot below the regulatory flood elevation.
F. 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 §
68-26, Development which may endanger human life, shall be stored at or above the regulatory flood elevation or floodproofed to the maximum extent possible.
G. 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 flood water.
H. Anchoring.
(1) All
buildings and structures shall be firmly anchored in accordance with
accepted engineering practices to prevent flotation, collapse, or
lateral movement.
(2) 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.
I. Floors,
Walls and Ceilings.
(1) 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.
(2) Plywood
used at or below the regulatory flood elevation shall be of a “marine”
or “waterresistant” variety.
(3) 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.
(4) Windows,
doors, and other components at or below the regulatory flood elevation
shall be made of metal or other “water-resistant” material.
J. Paints
and Adhesives.
(1) Paints
and other finishes used at or below the regulatory flood elevation
shall be of “marine” or “water-resistant”
quality
(2) Adhesives
used at or below the regulatory flood elevation shall be of a “marine”
or “waterresistant” variety.
(3) 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.
K. Electrical
Components.
(1) Electrical
distribution panels shall be at least three feet above the base flood
elevation.
(2) Separate
electrical circuits shall serve lower levels and shall be dropped
from above.
L. 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.
M. Fuel supply
systems. All gas and oil supply systems shall be designed to prevent
the infiltration of flood waters into the system and discharges from
the system into flood waters. Additional provisions shall be made
for the drainage of these systems in the event that flood water infiltration
occurs.
N. Uniform
construction code coordination. The standards and specifications contained
in 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:
International Building Code (IBC) 2009 or the latest edition
thereof: Sections 801, 1202, 1403, 1603, 1605, 1612, 3402, and Appendix
G.
International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 or the latest edition
thereof: Sections R104, R105, R109, R322, Appendix E, and Appendix
J.
Within any identified floodplain area, any structure of the kind described in subsection A of this section shall be prohibited. If a variance is obtained in accordance with the criteria in Article
VIII, then the following provisions apply (subsections B and C of this section):
A. 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:
(1) will be used for the production or storage of any of the following
dangerous materials or substances; or (2) 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 (3) 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:
(11) Nitric
acid and oxides of nitrogen;
(12) Petroleum
products (gasoline, fuel oil, etc.);
(16) Sulphur
and sulphur products;
(17) Pesticides
(including insecticides, fungicides, and rodenticides);
(18) Radioactive
substances, insofar as such substances are not otherwise regulated.
B. Within any floodway area, any structure of the kind described in subsection
A of this section shall be prohibited. Where permitted within any identified floodplain area, any new or substantially improved residential structure of the kind described in subsection
A of this section shall be elevated to remain completely dry up to at least 1 1/2 feet above base flood elevation and built in accordance with §§
68-23,
68-24 and
68-25.
C. Where permitted within any identified floodplain area, any new or substantially improved nonresidential structure of the kind described in subsection
A of this section shall be built in accordance with §§
68-23,
68-24 and
68-25 including:
(1) Elevated,
or designed and constructed to remain completely dry up to at least
1 1/2 feet above base flood elevation; and
(2) 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.
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All subdivision proposals and development proposals containing
at least five lots or at least two acres, whichever is the lesser,
in identified floodplain areas where base flood elevation data is
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 Article
VIII, then the following provisions apply:
A. Recreational
vehicles in Zones A, A1-30, AH and AE must either:
(1) Be
on the site for fewer than 180 consecutive days; and
(2) Be
fully licensed and ready for highway use; or
(3) Removed
from the floodplain when a flood warning is issued.