Fees and Forms Subject to Change in July Current Fee Schedule
DEQ has issued PWC Environmental Management a new MS-4 Permit View Here
Fees and Forms Subject to Change in July Current Fee Schedule
DEQ has issued PWC Environmental Management a new MS-4 Permit View Here
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Environmental Restrictions
Before starting any construction or land improvement project, you must apply for the required permits and approvals. This ensures the proper controls and measures to protect environmentally sensitive areas are put in place. Public Works staff will help you with this process, to ensure you take all the rights steps before starting your project.
Areas of Concern:
- Flood Plain and Flood Ways
- Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Areas (RPA)
- Chesapeake Bay Resource Management Areas (RMA)
- Shorelines, Streams, Creeks and Waterways
- Wetlands
- Other Environmentally Sensitive Areas
- Floodplains
100 Year Floodplain Hazard
Prince William County has experienced 100 year floods. Today, more than ever before, there are more controls such as storm water management ponds and drainage systems in place to protect people and property. However, you should monitor weather reports and heed emergency warnings during major storms.
Flood Hazard Use Permit Application (Submitted and Paid for at Land Development Services)
Is your property in a floodplain?
You can view the County Mapper to determine if your property is located within a floodplain.
Click Here for FEMA's Proposed Revisions to Flood Insurance Rate Maps
Before buying a property, you can also take these steps to learn more about floodplain issues:
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Ask the real estate agent if the property is in a floodplain, if it has ever flooded and if it is subject to any other hazards, such as sewer backup or subsidence.
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Ask the seller and the neighbors if the property is in a floodplain, how long they have lived there, if the property has ever been flooded and if it subject to any other hazards.
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Call Watershed Management for assistance at 703-792-7070 (TTY: 711).
If you live in a floodplain, there are restrictions on building on your property. You can learn more about requirements and restrictions in the Environmental Systems Section 700 of the Design and Construction Standards Manual.
Learn more about Protecting Your Family & Property from Flooding
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- Resource Protection Areas (RPAs)
RPAs are areas along streams where floodplains exist. The County has several square miles of RPAs. Vegetative buffers are required within RPAs to help:
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maximize infiltration, which reduces storm water runoff into streams and the potential for flash flooding
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protect streams from development impact, which improves water quality
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- Resource Management Areas (RMAs)
RMAs include floodplains, highly eroded soils and other sensitive areas. Our entire County is considered an RMA. Developers and builders working in an RMA are required to use best management practices, which are steps to minimize erosion, control runoff and prevent pollution. Many Prince William developers build storm water management facilities. These facilities incorporate the best management practices and help provide flood control.
- Steps You May Need to Take Before Starting Construction
As part of your project, you may need to complete reports, studies, and assessments of the area. You may be asked to complete a Preservation Area Site Assessment (PASA) and a Perennial Flow Determination (PFD). County staff will advise you about the reports and forms, specific to your project, you will need to complete during the review process.
Please contact us at 703-792-7070 for advice on the steps you need to take for your specific project.
Proposed projects may also require review and approval by local boards. Knowledgeable citizens are appointed to these boards by the Board of County Supervisors.
The Wetlands Advisory Board has jurisdiction over tidal shores for both vegetative and non-vegetative tidal areas located between mean low tide and high tide elevations. You may require approvals and review by the Wetlands Advisory Board before you disturb these areas with a development project. Staff will advise you if you must submit an application to the Wetlands Board and receive approval at a Wetlands Advisory Board Public Hearing. The project plans will also be reviewed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Review Board (CBPARB) holds public hearings for Resource Protection Area (RPA) exception requests. These exceptions are considered when a property owner asks to encroach into the 100 foot RPA buffer required along perennial streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.