3102.1 The Director of DOEE, or the Director’s designee, is designated as the Floodplain Administrator.

3102.2 The duties and responsibilities of the Floodplain Administrator shall include:

1. (a) Coordinating the review and approval process between the Department of Buildings (DOB) and DOEE to ensure that an application for a permit to build or engage in activities in a flood hazard area complies with the applicable requirements of the District of Columbia, and that the site is reasonably safe from flooding;
2. (b) Reviewing a permit application to ensure that no encroachment on a watercourse, alteration of a watercourse, or improvement of any kind to a watercourse, is made unless it has been demonstrated through hydrologic and hydraulic analyses performed in accordance with standard engineering practice that the proposed encroachment, alteration, or improvement would not increase the flood-carrying capacity of the watercourse;
3. (c) As necessary, interpreting flood hazard area boundaries when there appears to be a conflict between a mapped boundary and actual field conditions, and providing available flood hazard information to the public;
4. (d) Reviewing additional hydrologic, hydraulic, or other engineering data and studies required to support any request for a Letter of Map Change from FEMA;
5. (e) Maintaining copies of the FIRM, FIS, and all revisions and amendments to flood maps and studies
6. (f) Ensuring that all records necessary to administer federal and District programs related to flood hazards and protections are maintained and made available for public inspection, including FIRMs, FISs, Letters of Map Amendment, Letters of Map Revision, required certifications, and documentation specified by this chapter;
7. (g) Ensuring that the applicant for a permit provides public notifications related to alterations of watercourses to adjacent communities and to FEMA;
8. (h) Maintaining records of as-built lowest floor elevations or elevation certificates, floodproofing certificates, and other certifications or proof of compliance as may be required by this chapter or Appendix G 12-A

DCMR (District of Columbia Municipal Regulations);

1. (i) Making periodic recommendations to FEMA when updates to flood models and maps are needed, based on best-available data and climate science;
2. (j) Making periodic recommendations to the Mayor when updates to flood models and maps are needed based on best-available data and climate science;
3. (k) Providing annual progress reports to the Council of the District of Columbia, and reports to the Federal Insurance Administrator as required by FEMA;
4. (l) Requiring that applicants, who submit hydrologic and hydraulic engineering analyses to support permit or Letter of Map Revision applications, submit data and information necessary to maintain the Flood Insurance Rate Maps to FEMA when the analyses propose to change base flood elevations, flood hazard area boundaries, or floodway designations. The submissions shall be made within six (6) months of the data becoming available;
5. (m) Reviewing subdivision proposals and other proposed new development, including manufactured home parks or subdivisions, to determine whether the proposals will be reasonably safe from flooding. If a subdivision proposal or other proposed new development is in a flood-prone area, any proposal shall be reviewed to ensure that:
6. (1) The proposals are consistent with the need to minimize flood damage inside the flood-prone area;
7. (2) All public utilities and facilities, such as sewer, gas, electrical, and water systems are located and constructed to minimize or eliminate flood damage; and
8. (3) Adequate drainage is provided to reduce exposure to flood hazards; and
9. (n) Requiring a change to the permit for development on a development site located wholly or partially inside a flood hazard area, if upon inspection, DOEE determines that the permit conditions are inadequate to comply with the requirements of this chapter based on a discrepancy between the permit conditions and the actual site conditions.

3102.3 The duties and responsibilities of DOB include:

(a) Issuing permits for all development on a development site located wholly or partially inside a flood hazard area;

(b) Coordinating with DOEE to ensure that all development on a development site located wholly or partially inside a flood hazard area is compliant with the flood resistant construction provisions of the District of Columbia Construction Codes, including Appendix G of the Building Code, and the requirements of this chapter. Consistent with 12-A DCMR § G103.6, DOB shall not issue a permit for any development on a development site located wholly or partially inside a flood hazard area until DOEE has reviewed the permit application for compliance with this chapter and submitted recommendations;

(c) Maintaining a complete record of all code modification requests and related actions in flood hazard areas; and

(d) Determining, in coordination with DOEE, whether proposed reconstruction, rehabilitation, repair, alteration, addition, or other improvement of existing buildings or structures located in flood hazard areas constitutes substantial improvement or repair of substantial damage.

3102.4 The Historic Preservation Office (HPO) is responsible for reviewing any permit application for repair or rehabilitation to historic structures wholly or partially inside a flood hazard area to assure coordination and consistency with this chapter.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 32 DCR 6547, 6548 (November 15, 1985) as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 35 DCR 962 (February 12, 1988); as amended by Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 57 DCR 10765 (November 19, 2010); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 72 DCR 006821 (June 20, 2025).