DOVER — Kent County property owners whose land includes ponds or stormwater basins may enroll in the county’s Stormwater Maintenance District program.

Through a memorandum of understanding with the Kent Conservation District, the county can assume maintenance responsibility of stormwater basins from homeowners associations and commercial property owners who opt into SWMD.

“Most HOAs perform minimum upkeep like grass cutting, but other tasks such as, repair of eroded banks or removal of obstructions from outlets typically are not performed regularly, if at all, which can increase future maintenance costs and/or necessitate major renovations,” a news release from the county stated.

Unmaintained stormwater facilities often fail to function as designed, the release added. Stormwater areas, such as wet ponds, dry ponds and infiltration basins, are designed to gather rainwater from homes, yards and streets and take it safely to a “holding” area. The water is then released at a safe rate.

If these spots are not properly maintained and become choked up with sediment, debris or vegetation, stormwater may not be able to enter or the facility may not hold as much as needed, which can cause flooding and damage to the surrounding area.

The Kent Conservation District performs inspections and management of each basin in the county every two to three years.

Minor maintenance activities, which can occur annually or every two to three years, are removal of accumulated sediments, clearing of obstructions, stabilization of low-flow channels, resetting of riprap, repair of eroded banks and filling of burrow holes.

When a property owner or HOA joins SWMD, Kent County and the Kent Conservation District also will perform major maintenance tasks where necessary. Those are replacement of outlet structures and pipes, rebuilding of inlet pipes and aprons, repair embankments, rehabilitation or retrofit.

Kent County municipalities also are eligible to join the county’s SWMD with mayoral and council consent. Thirty-five communities have joined, the release stated.

For more information, contact the Kent County Department of Planning Services at 744-2471 or visit the county’s website.