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Best Management Practice Selection & Design

Airport regulations can limit the selection of best management practices (BMPs) or require modification to the design of BMPs to comply with FAA regulations.  One example is that stormwater treatment facilities cannot be designed to be a wildlife attractant as this is a safety issue.

FAA Advisory Circulars
Other FAA regulations may restrict where stormwater BMPs can be implemented.  FAA produces Advisory Circulars (AC) that set design standards to be followed on the airside of an airport. Links to FAA ACs applicable to stormwater BMP are provided below.

FAA AC 150/5200-33B, Hazardous Wildlife Attractants on or near Airports, provides guidance on certain land uses that have the potential to attract hazardous wildlife on or near public-use airports.

FAA AC 150/5370-10G, Standards for Specifying Construction of Airports, includes construction BMPs and minimization measures specific to airports.

FAA AC 150/5300-13, Airport Design, defines the restricted areas of the airport such as the Clearway, Object Free Area, Runway Protection Zone (RPZ), and Runway Safety Area.  Generally, stormwater facilities should not be located within the restricted zones; however, stormwater BMPs are allowed in the RPZ. Stormwater facilities be located within the RPZ only when necessary and provided the facility will be compatible with the restrictions.

State-Specific Airport Stormwater Management
Several states have developed stormwater BMP guidance that is specific to the airport context.  The following examples of state resources may be useful in selecting and designing BMPs to address the unique requirements of airport stormwater management.

Washington State Aviation Stormwater Design Manual  This design manual is for stormwater facilities on and near airports. BMPs are identified that will work within the constraints of the airport.

Florida Airport Stormwater Data This website is for the Statewide Airport Stormwater Management Program of the Florida Department of Transportation Aviation and Spaceports Office.

Florida Statewide Airport Stormwater Best Management Practices Manual  This manual contains airport-specific applications and BMPs with special discussion related to wildlife hazards.

North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Stormwater Design Manual This manual contains a special chapter dedicated to public airports with special emphasis on wildlife hazard and pollutants of concern specific to airports.

State-Specific Stormwater Best Management Practices
Many states have dedicated statewide BMP manuals that list the type of treatment each BMP provides along with the assessment metrics that will be used. Although many statewide manuals are not airport specific, they are a valuable resource that should not be overlooked. Design guidance is included in many state manuals to aid in BMP selection, design, and calculations.

State Resource Locator Tool A database of links to state resources to aid in determining state-specific stormwater regulation guidance materials.