Application Process

1. Determine the community waiver status for the subject property.

Each community determines how it reviews and processes Stormwater Management Certification applications. The extent with which DuPage County Stormwater Management reviews the application depends on the waiver status of the municipality. It is important to contact your municipality to determine the waiver status and preference for processing Stormwater Management Certification applications.

The three types of community waiver status (find your community's waiver status ) are:

Non-Waiver (including Unincorporated DuPage County)
Partial Waiver
Complete Waiver

2. Contact the waiver community to obtain information about their Stormwater Management Certification application process.

Applicants should contact their local municipality to obtain information on the Stormwater Management Certification application process. For developments in unincorporated areas of DuPage County, contact the DuPage County Building and Zoning Department. Call 630-407-6700 for more information.

3. Schedule a pre-application meeting with DuPage County Stormwater Management staff.

A pre-application meeting is not required, but it is highly recommended. The purpose of the pre-application meeting is to help determine which special management regulations or stormwater regulations will need to be addressed in the stormwater application. In addition to the applicant and the permit coordinator, meeting attendees may include a wetland specialist, the local municipal engineer, consultants, contractors, and additional property owners. These meetings are held online and are free of charge. Please call 630-407-6673 to set up the appointment.

4. Prepare the Stormwater Management Certification Application submittal.

The following items need to be included in the Stormwater Certification Application submittal:

A. Stormwater Management Certification Application

DuPage County Stormwater Management Certification Application (PDF)

For developments in non-waiver communities, partial waiver communities, and full waiver communities that impact flood plain/floodway, wetlands, or buffers, please obtain a community number from your waiver community to ensure proper tracking of your stormwater application.

B. Stormwater Fees

Stormwater Permit Fees

Stormwater fees consist of an application fee and review fees. The application fee is due at time of application submittal, while the review fees are due after the application is assessed for the appropriate category based on scope of work. Review of the application starts after the review fees have been paid in full. Additional fees may be required based on the proposed activities.

Stormwater application and review fees may be paid online through the Stormwater Application Portal.

C. Stormwater Report

Submittal requirements are detailed in the Ordinance, Article V. For ease of review, it is required that submittals be provided in a flattened PDF format as follows:

Tab 1 – Project Overview
Tab 2A/2B – Site Runoff Storage
Tab 3A/3B – Flood Plain/Floodway
Tab 4 – Wetlands/Wetland Buffer
Tab 5 – Waterway Buffer
Tab 6 – PCBMP
Tab 7 – Soil Erosion and Sediment Control
Tab 8 – Maps
Tab 9 – Maintenance and Monitoring
Tab 10 – Security
Tab 11 – Variance

To ensure that all aspects of the Ordinance are addressed in the application, it is also recommended that the applicant include flow charts with their submittal:

Stormwater Submittal Flow Chart (PDF)
Tab 2 – Stormwater Runoff (PDF)
Tab 3 – Flood Plain (PDF)
Tab 4 – Wetland and Wetland Buffer (PDF)
Tab 5 – Riparian Buffer (PDF)
Tab 6 – PCBMPs (PDF)

5. Submit your application.

You may submit your application online using the Stormwater Application Portal.

Please refer to the following guides when using the portal:

6. DuPage County Stormwater Management review.

Once the submittal has been received by DCSM and application and review fees have been paid, the review process begins. The review is broken into three components:

Wetland Review
Engineering Review
Soil Erosion and Sediment Control and Grading/Drainage Review (for non-waiver communities only)

Review Time

The target length of review times are as follows. The actual time to review a submittal may vary depending on staff workload.

Standard Submittal/Resubmittal: 20 working days
Submittal requiring FEQ/H&H analysis: 40 working days
Additional information submittal: 10 working days

Review Letter

If the submittal does not pass the stormwater review, an email is sent out to the project contacts informing them that the review is complete and that review comments may be viewed on the Stormwater Application Portal. Instructions are given for the resubmittal procedure.

Request for Additional Information

In some cases, if the submittal is rejected, but the review comments are relatively minor, DuPage County will accept additional information to address the comments without a formal rejection letter. The project contacts will be notified by email of this scenario. The target review time after submitting additional information is 10 working days if additional information material is resubmitted in a timely manner.

Stormwater Review Meeting

If an applicant would like further clarification of the review comments, a stormwater review meeting may be requested to meet with the project coordinator and reviewers to address review comments and discuss possible solutions. Please contact 630-407-6673 to set up an appointment.

Resubmittal

After the review comments have been addressed, the applicant may resubmit the stormwater application materials for another review.

For online submittals, the applicant may upload revised files directly to their stormwater application record through the Stormwater Application Portal. Upon verification of completeness and payment of review fees, DCSM staff will route the resubmittal for review.

7. Receive Stormwater Management Certification/Authorization letter.

Upon Certification/Authorization of the application, the applicant will be notified by DCSM that the Certification/Authorization letter has been issued. Any outstanding fees are paid at this time. A Stormwater Certification is not a permit. The permit is issued by the waiver community after Stormwater Certification has been issued and all permit requirements have been met.

Full and Partial Waiver Communities – For developments in these communities, the applicant must download and print the Stormwater Authorization letter to bring back to their respective communities for Stormwater Certification and permitting.

Non-Waiver Communities – For developments in these communities, the applicant must download and print the Stormwater Certification letter to bring back to their respective communities for permitting. Depending on the agreement DCSM has with the non-waiver community, the performance security and/or BMP fee-in-lieu may be collected by DuPage County Stormwater Management.

Unincorporated DuPage County – For developments in unincorporated areas of DuPage County, the Building and Zoning Department will issue the building permit after DuPage County Stormwater Management has released the Stormwater Certification Letter and all permit requirements have been met.

Final paperwork such as the temporary easement and informational note to title are required at this time. Sample forms are available for download:

Informational Note to Title
Temporary Easement (PDF)

The performance security must be paid at this time. Please forward a copy of all Irrevocable Letters of Credit to Alicia Favela (630-407-6698 / alicia.favela@dupagecounty.gov). The following forms are available for download:

Letter of Credit Form (PDF)
Letter of Credit Out of State Bank Language (PDF)
Surety Bond Form (PDF)

8. Meet post-construction requirements.

Upon completion of construction, the following Stormwater Management Certification requirements must be met:

As-Built Plans – Per Section 15-47.B, as-built plans may be required by the waiver community. The applicant must coordinate with the waiver community for as-built approval.
- For developments in unincorporated DuPage County, please submit as-built plans to the Building Division for review and site inspection. For more information, please call 630-407-6700.
Monitoring and Maintenance Reports – Per Section 15-88.O, for developments requiring natural plantings, the Certification holder shall provide annual monitoring reports documenting progress towards meeting the approved performance standards.
Upon inspection, if the performance standards are met during or at the end of the monitoring period, DCSM or the administrator in a complete waiver community may issue regulatory signoff and release the natural area planting portion of the performance security.

Release of Performance Security – Performance securities may be released according to the provisions of Section 15-54. The applicant may contact the waiver community for their procedures.
- For developments in unincorporated DuPage County, please coordinate with Lori Edwards/Principal Environmental Technician at 630-407-6726 for the release of performance securities.