Regional Stormwater Management Program FAQs
To get help, email the Regional Stormwater Management Team. Include project-identifying details (project name, address, case numbers) for a quick response.
- What is the Regional Stormwater Management Program?
The Regional Stormwater Management Program offers alternative means of compliance to onsite detention for new developments and redevelopments. Participating projects must meet minimum criteria to be eligible to participate, including causing no adverse flooding impact to neighboring properties because of impervious cover.
The Regional Stormwater Management Program team collects funds to use on flood risk mitigation projects. Developers may also build stormwater infrastructure improvements that significantly benefit the public and reduce the risk of flooding.
- Does the program allow developments to flood other properties and worsen flooding?
No, the Regional Stormwater Management Program ensures any increased stormwater runoff from a property does not cause adverse flooding impact to neighboring properties. For larger sites, we require modeling and drainage analyses that prove no adverse flooding impact will affect the receiving creek or stormwater infrastructure.
The payments collected from participating projects and improvements completed by participants help reduce the risk of flooding in the same watershed.
- How can I apply for Regional Stormwater Management Program participation?
Use the RSMP Feasibility Viewer to determine a project’s potential feasibility for Regional Stormwater Management Program participation.
Based on the information submitted, the viewer will either prompt the user to schedule a feasibility meeting with the Regional Stormwater Management Program team or direct the user to work with the project’s assigned drainage reviewer to provide onsite detention.
If the RSMP Feasibility Viewer does not work for your project, submit a complete Feasibility Determination Request Form to RSMP@austintexas.gov. Based on the submitted information, the Regional Stormwater Management Program team will be in touch to either schedule a feasibility meeting or suggest onsite detention for a project.
After attending a feasibility meeting for a project, please submit a complete RSMP Application Package, including the RSMP Application Form and all the requested supporting documentation, to Austin Development Services Intake with your development application. See the RSMP Participation Handbook for more details.
- How can I reach the Regional Stormwater Management Program team?
Email the Regional Stormwater Management Program team to get in touch. We monitor the inbox daily. We will schedule all meetings virtually using Microsoft Teams with a call-in option.
- What is the status of the RSMP review for my project?
We provide review comments as quickly as possible during formal development application review.
If the deadline for comments has passed and the RSMP review is either outstanding or not included in the comment report for the update, please email the Regional Stormwater Management Program team to ensure the review is in process.
- Why isn’t the RSMP Team reviewing my model files with the rest of my RSMP Application Package?
Make sure to zip model files together in a folder that contains only models. After you submit the complete RSMP Application Package to Austin Development Services Intake (for site plans and subdivisions), you may also send it directly email it directly to the Regional Stormwater Management Team to ensure we receive it.
- How much is the RSMP Payment?
Use the Regional Stormwater Management Program Payment Calculator (downloadable Excel spreadsheet and instructions, 58 KB) to estimate the RSMP Payment amount for a project. The Regional Stormwater Management Program team uses the same tool at the time of RSMP approval to determine the official RSMP payment amount.
The Regional Stormwater Management Program team updates the payment calculator annually on September 30 to reflect an updated Engineering News-Record Construction Cost Index (ENR CCI).
- How can I access the AB+C Portal?
Use this link to the Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) Portal. If you cannot see the RS folder assigned to your project, send a message to the RSMP Team with the name, email address, and 7-digit Person ID of the individual(s) we should add to the RS folder. Be sure to include project-identifying information in the message so we can assign the correct person to the correct folder.
- What if I don’t want my project to participate in RSMP?
The Regional Stormwater Management Program is an optional alternative to onsite detention. Applicants may opt at any time to pursue onsite detention.
If you decide not to pursue Regional Stormwater Management Program participation at any time before approval, work with your assigned drainage reviewer to provide onsite detention.