Does Your Property Have Stormwater Facilities? Here's How to Tell

Here's an awkward question: do you know if your property even has stormwater facilities?

If you're not sure, you're not alone. Most property managers we talk to inherited these systems without anyone ever pointing them out. Maybe you got a binder of HOA documents, a set of keys, and a "good luck." Nobody sat you down and said, "See that grassy area over there? That's actually a bioretention basin and you're responsible for it."

Why This Actually Matters

Look, I get it—if nobody's ever mentioned stormwater facilities, it's easy to assume they're not your problem. But here's the thing: you can't maintain what you don't know exists.

These facilities are usually required by law in most residential developments built in the last 20-30 years. They're managing all the rainwater and snowmelt from your streets, roofs, and driveways—keeping it from flooding properties and polluting local streams. When they work, you don't notice them. When they don't? That's when you get street flooding, erosion, backed-up drains, and eventually, expensive emergency repairs.

Ignoring them doesn't make them go away. It just means you'll discover them the hard way—usually when something's already gone wrong and you're paying emergency rates to fix it.

What to Look For: The Common Suspects

The tricky part is that stormwater facilities often don't look like facilities. They look like landscaping. Or ponds. Or just "that weird low spot." Here's what to actually look for on your property:

Detention or Retention Ponds

• You might call it: "That permanent pond" or "the area that fills up when it rains and then drains slowly."

• What it actually is: A designed basin that temporarily holds stormwater and releases it slowly to prevent flooding downstream. If you have a pond or a low grassy area that fills with water after storms, this is probably it.

Bioretention Areas (Rain Gardens)

• You might call it: "That landscaped area that's always kind of wet" or "the mulched section with specific plants."

• What it actually is: A shallow depression planted with native vegetation that filters stormwater naturally. These often look intentionally landscaped—because they are—but they're doing important work, not just looking pretty.

Inlets and Catch Basins

• You might call it: "Those grated drains in the street" or "the storm drains."

• What it actually is: The entry points where water flows into your stormwater system. These grates and the structures beneath them need regular cleaning—when they clog, water has nowhere to go.

Swales

• You might call it: "That shallow ditch between properties" or "the grass channel along the road."

• What it actually is: A gently sloped, vegetated channel designed to move water and allow some of it to soak in. If water consistently flows through the same grassy path during storms, it's probably an engineered swale.

Underground Systems

• You might call it: Nothing, because you can't see them.

• What it actually is: Pipes, chambers, and underground detention systems that handle stormwater beneath parking lots or yards. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there—or that they don't need maintenance.

The "Aha" Moment: You Definitely Have Stormwater Facilities If...

Still not sure? Here are the telltale signs:

• Your HOA documents mention stormwater, drainage maintenance, or BMPs (Best Management Practices). If it's in the paperwork, it's on your property.

• You've received inspection notices or reports from your county, city, or municipality. They don't inspect things that don't exist.

• There's a pond or basin that "belongs to the HOA" but nobody's quite sure why. Now you know why—it's a stormwater facility.

• Your development was built after the 1990s (or whenever local stormwater regulations kicked in). Modern developments almost always have engineered stormwater management.

• You've noticed that street flooding or standing water that sticks around for days. That's often your stormwater system trying to tell you it needs help.

What to Do Once You Know

Okay, so you've identified that yes, you do have stormwater facilities. Now what?

• Document what you've got. Take photos on your phone. Note the locations. Create a simple map if it helps. Just get it down somewhere so it's not a mystery anymore.

• Dig up any documentation. Look for inspection reports, maintenance records, permits, or as-built drawings in your HOA files. Even if they're years old, they're helpful.

• Watch how things behave. During the next rain or snowmelt, go outside and see where water goes. Does it flow into your basins and drain within a day or two? Or does it sit for a week? That tells you a lot about the health of your system.

• Get a professional assessment if you're still not sure. Sometimes it takes an expert eye to identify what's a facility versus what's just landscaping—and that's okay.

Here's the Relief Part

Finding out you have stormwater facilities isn't bad news—it's just information. And honestly? It's way better to know now, during the quiet winter months, than to discover it in April when something's failing and you're scrambling.

Now you know what you're working with. You can plan for it, budget for it, and take care of it properly. You're not ignoring a ticking time bomb anymore—you're managing an asset.

And remember what we talked about in winter planning? This is exactly why it matters. Once you know what you have, you can get ahead of problems instead of reacting to them. You can schedule that pre-spring assessment, lock in reasonable pricing, and make sure everything's ready before the heavy rains hit.

You've just taken the first step toward being the property manager who has their act together. That's something to feel good about.

Not sure what you're looking at? Let's do a quick property walk together. We'll show you exactly what's there, what it does, and what it needs—in plain English, no jargon. No obligation, just clarity. Reach out today and let's solve this mystery together.

[Contact Us] | [Schedule a Property Assessment]