Knox County Tennessee

Construction Services

For building permits or building code information, please visit the Code Administration’s Website

Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control

Report a Construction Site Concern

Click Here to Report A Construction Site Concern in Knox County

Knox County’s Goals & Objectives for Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control

As an NPDES Phase II MS4 community, Knox County has specific permit requirements relating to Construction Site activities. Knox County must:

  • Develop, implement and enforce a program to reduce pollutants in any stormwater runoff to Knox County’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) from construction activities that result in a land disturbance of greater than or equal to one acre. Reduction of stormwater discharges from construction activity disturbing less than one acre must be included in Knox County’s program if that construction activity is part of a larger common plan of development or sale that would disturb one acre or more.
  • Establish an ordinance or other regulatory mechanism to require erosion prevention and sediment controls, as well as sanctions to ensure compliance, to the extent allowable under State or local law.
  • Establish requirements corresponding to the Tennessee Construction General Permit
  • Establish procedures for site inspections and enforcement of control measures
  • Provide staff training in the fundamentals of erosion and prevention sediment control and in how to review erosion and sediment control plans. All staff must attend the Tennessee Fundamentals of Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control; and the Erosion Prevention and Sediment Control Design Courses.
  • Establish a program that provides for the following:
    • Recognition of priority construction activity, including at a minimum those construction activities discharging directly into, or immediately up stream of, waters the state recognizes as impaired (for siltation) or high quality;
    • Pre-construction meetings with construction-site operators, for priority construction activities
    • Inspections by Knox County, of priority construction sites at least once per month

Knox County has:

  • Developed a comprehensive construction site stormwater runoff control program that includes all of the requirements listed above.

HAVE A CONCERN about a construction site in the County? Give us a call at (865) 215-5864.