Knowledge Base

Effective July 1st, 2025, The Board of County Commissioners (BCCs) moved forward with creating a new Stormwater Department that no longer falls under the umbrella of the Public Works Department. The move to create this new department follows a difficult 2024 hurricane season which saw high levels of water that caused flooding and other issues.

Stormwater Department Objectives: 

• The Sarasota County Stormwater Environmental Utility’s objectives include reducing the threat of flooding, improving surface water quality and encouraging appropriate development practices in the region.
• Reduce the threat of flooding by ensuring that the stormwater drainage system is properly operated and maintained.
• Reduce the threat of flooding by developing Basin Master Plans which will identify level of service deficiencies and cost effective solutions. 
• Protect and improve area surface water quality by ensuring county compliance with federal and state regulations under the
• National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit and other local, state and federal regulations. 
• Mitigate the impacts of flooding and save money for the county residents by implementing activities in the Community Rating System (CRS) program to prevent and reduce flood losses and flood insurance cost.
  Protect existing property while encouraging appropriate community development by formulating and enforcing stormwater regulations for development. 
• Maintain a customer service database to assure accuracy of parcel records and assessments.

For more information on the Stormwater department, click here.