Stormwater compliance gets more complex as a portfolio grows — and the risk isn’t just regulatory. In a recent webinar hosted by France Media and sponsored by AQUALIS, “Compliance At Scale: Stormwater Risk Across a Growing Portfolio,” panelists discussed where compliance gaps most often occur, what they cost when caught late, and how proactive inspections protect both budgets and asset life.
Key Takeaways:
- Compliance is required, not voluntary — stormwater has been federally regulated since the Clean Water Act of 1972, and violations can surface even on properties with no visible problems.
- Responsibility typically sits with the property owner, though lease terms can shift some or all of it to tenants — a detail often lost during a sale or turnover.
- Requirements vary by jurisdiction and climate, and enforcement has intensified over the past two to three years as municipal staffing has recovered and stormwater utility fees raise public visibility.
- Due diligence often skips stormwater entirely, and failing underground infrastructure discovered post-acquisition can run into six and seven figures.
- Proactive maintenance pays for itself — and can trigger real money back. One portfolio-wide fee audit AQUALIS is currently running turned up a single site paying roughly $100,000 a year in city stormwater fees, with credits available for something as simple as an inspection or updated paperwork.
Tune in for multi-property compliance strategy, redevelopment and increased stormwater retention requirements, and how to handle protected wetlands.
“The common theme that I hear is that ‘compliance is voluntary.’ It’s not. It’s required.”
Jeffrey Urban, AQUALIS
This webinar is sponsored by AQUALIS, a nationwide premier provider of sustainable water engineering, compliance and management for stormwater, wastewater and water quality testing. For information, visit aqualisco.com.
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