Century Set To Consider Final Approval Of Stormwater Discharge Ordinance

February 16, 2026

On Tuesday, the Century Town Council is set to hold a second reading of an ordinance designed to strictly control how pollutants enter the town’s drainage systems. The ordinance aims to protect the local environment and ensure the town complies with state and federal clean water standards.

To read the complete ordinance, click here (pdf).

Key Takeaways for Residents and Businesses:

  • Strict Discharge Rules: The law prohibits “illicit discharges”—essentially anything going into the storm drains that isn’t composed entirely of clean rainwater.
  • Industrial & Construction Standards: Businesses and construction sites must manage their runoff on-site. They are also required to notify the Mayor’s office before connecting to the town’s drainage system.
  • Mandatory Inspections: Town personnel must be granted access to facilities discharging or suspected of discharging into the system to inspect drainage systems and records to ensure compliance.
  • Enforcement and Fines: Violations are treated as separate offenses for every day they continue. Property owners may be held liable for cleanup costs, sampling fees, and even legal expenses incurred by the town.

Common Activities Exempted:

The ordinance lists several “everyday” activities that are generally not considered violations, provided they don’t significantly harm the system:

  • Individual residential car washing
  • Lawn watering and landscape irrigation
  • Air conditioning condensate
  • Dechlorinated swimming pool discharges
  • Emergency firefighting activities

Next Steps for the Town

The final reading and potential adoption of the ordinance is scheduled for the February 17 Town Council meeting at 6:15 p.m.. If passed, the law becomes effective immediately upon adoption

Comments





Have a comment on this story?

We welcome your comments on this story, but there are some rules to follow::

(1) Be Nice. No comments that slander another, no racism, no sexism, no personal attacks.

(2) No Harrassing Comments. If someone says something bad about you, don't respond. That's childish.

(3) No Libel. That's saying something is not true about someone. Don't do it.

(4) Keep it clean. Nothing vulgar, obscene or sexually related. No profanity or obvious substitutions. Period.

(5) NorthEscambia.com reserves the right to remove any comments that violate our rules or we think to be inappropriate. We are not responsible for what is posted. Comments may not appear right away until they are approved by a moderator.

(6) Limit your comments to the subject in this story only, and limit comments to 300 words or less. Do not post copyrighted material. Comments will not be added to stories that are over 30 days old.

(7) No posts may advertise a commercial business, political candidate or political group, or link to another commercial web site or political site of any kind.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FRONT TOP