The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines stormwater as a rainwater or melted snow that runs off streets, lawns, and other sites. When stormwater is absorbed into soil, it is filtered and ultimately replenishes aquifers or flows into streams and rivers.
The Town of Waynesville utilizes its Stormwater Management Plan to improve local water quality and comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit (NPDES) and the applicable provisions of the Clean Water Act. The Stormwater Management Plan comprises Public Education and Outreach, Public Participation, Construction Site Runoff Controls, Post-Construction Site Runoff Controls, IDDE (Illicit Discharge, Detention and Elimination), Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping, and Annual Self-Assessments. The goal of the stormwater program is to preserve, restore, and protect local waterways as well as address the needs of the local community.
Town of Waynesville MS4 Public Education Poster
The Town of Waynesville Stormwater Map is located on the arcgis.com website. The map is updated periodically. It contains the following layers:
- Municipal and private SCMs within the Town of Waynesville- type, ownership, and date of the last inspection;
- Outfalls and culverts
- Storm drains
- Catch basins
- Waynesville Hydro Clip- major streams;
- Grease traps
- Zoning Districts
- Town of Waynesville boundaries
Click here to access the PDF version of the official Town of Waynesville Stormwater map.
Other stormwater maps:
Outfalls Map (as of August 23, 2024)
Stormwater questions or to report an illicit discharge:
Monday to Friday, 8 am - 4:30 pm
Development Services: email: ogrooman@waynesvillenc.gov or call: (828) 356-1172
Haywood Waterways: email: info@haywoodwaterways.org or call: (828) 476-4667 EXT 10
Holidays and After Hours
Call: (828) 456-5363
NC Department of Environmental Quality Hotline
Call: 1-866-STOP-MUD
When calling, please be prepared to share the following information: time/date, location, and description of the issue
Please check the sections in the drop-down menu below to learn about our stormwater program.
Community Projects
Waynesville to Hold Public Input Meeting for Stormwater Master Plan
The Town of Waynesville is hosting a public input meeting as part of the stormwater master plan study on Thursday, February 22, 2024 from 5-7 p.m. at the Waynesville Recreation Center (550 Vance Street). For more information, contact Development Services, T: (828) 456-8647.
In October, the Town contracted with WithersRavenel, Inc. to launch a stormwater master plan study. The 32-month project will develop a stormwater master plan the Town can use as a guiding document. The plan will identify flooding problems, propose solutions, and create a strategy for putting those solutions into action to improve the infrastructure capacity. The stormwater master plan will focus on key study areas and prioritize a list of projects that can become part of the Town’s capital improvement plan.
Public input is an important component of the stormwater study. The feedback received during the public input meeting, in conjunction with the community survey data and field work by the contractor, will be used to create the stormwater master plan. All residents are invited to attend the meeting and provide their input. Topics discussed during the public input meeting will include water quality concerns, flooding issues, and possible solutions for mitigating stormwater issues.
Rain Garden at Waynesville Greenway (2021)
Development Services, Waynesville Public Works Department, Haywood Waterways, and students from Western Carolina University have finished the restoration of the Rain Garden at the Waynesville Greenway. It is not just a garden. It is a stormwater control measure constructed in several layers: 12 inches of wash stone on the bottom, filter fabric tightly covering the wash stone, soil with plants, and mulch. Filter fabric separates the wash stone and soil and prevents the loss of the soil. The wash stone will hold rain water and slowly infiltrate in into the ground, reducing the amount of pollutants and runoff. We planted our garden with Ginger Wine, American Witch-Hazel, Elderberry, Carolina Allspice, and American Beautyberry plants.
Click here to read the Mountaineer article about this community project.
A rain garden is a shallow area in the landscape with water-tolerant, native plants and well-drained soils. Rain gardens collect rainwater from the streets or roofs and infiltrate it into the soil. They are effective in removing pollutants from stormwater runoff through absorption, infiltration, evapotranspiration, and microbial action. They also reduce the amount of stormwater runoff that goes into the receiving waters.
Rain gardens are great for small areas, such as backyards, parking lots, and sidewalks. Advanced rain gardens have drainage systems and altered soils. They are called bioretention cells. Click here to learn more about rain gardens and how to build and maintain them.
Pictures of the Waynesville Rain Garden Project
Before:
In the Works:
We are excited to see our Rain Garden in full bloom this Spring!
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French Drain at Waynesville Recreation Center (2022)
Development Services Department coordinated with the Public Works to extend the French drain in a disc golf area that seems to stay wet for a long time after rain. How does a French drain work? It provides a subsurface channel for rainwater to run through. It is a type of infiltration trench with piping. Water runs underground into a perforated pipe that is usually wrapped in a filter fabric and surrounded by a wash stone. Filter fabric and wash stone serve as a barrier and prevent the soil from clogging up the perforated pipe. Rainwater penetrates the soil and travels through the pipe away from the surface. Our French drain diverts excess rainwater into a nearby storm drain.
French drains are very effective because they collect water along the entire surface of the drain! 
Click the links below to learn more about French drains and how to install one yourself:
For the well-being of our regional ecosystems, here in Waynesville, our native plants are essential for several reasons. Encouraging biodiversity is crucial for local food webs that depend heavily on native species. They give local species, such as insects, birds, and mammals, a place to live, food, and shelter. Numerous native species are essential for preserving biodiversity because they have coevolved with the local fauna. Certain insects and birds, for instance, depend on particular native plants for food or nesting locations; in the absence of these plants, these species may find it difficult to survive. Native organisms are important to where we and millions of other species call home. Here are a few documents to learn more about the importance of natives, the danger of invasives, and planting recommendations!
Suggested Planting Practices Educational:
Native Plant suggestions:
Waynesville, NC Native Plant List.docx
Invasives to avoid:
file:///P:/Planning/Tyler%20Anderson/INVASIVES.TOW.pdf