What does DMA stand for?
| Full form | Drainage Management Area |
|---|---|
| Category | Science & engineering |
| Type | Initialism |
The initialism DMA stands for Drainage Management Area in stormwater-planning documents. It labels a drainage area considered within the plan.
The area and a stormwater treatment or management facility are different objects. San Diego County’s training material notes that one DMA can drain to two BMPs arranged in series. That example shows why a diagram should not be read as requiring one area to equal one facility. The plan’s area labels and routing arrows supply their actual context; this glossary does not design a treatment system or decide a permit.
Meaning in context
- Drainage
- The runoff/drainage planning context, rather than a drinking-water metering zone.
- Management Area
- The area being considered; it is not itself the name of every downstream facility.
Practical examples
Separate area and facility
- Before
The diagram has one DMA, so it can contain only one downstream BMP.
- After
The county’s training example allows a DMA to drain to two BMPs in series; read the actual routing in the plan.
An area count and a facility count need not be identical.
Read the right water context
- Before
DMA on a stormwater plan must mean a district metered drinking-water area.
- After
The plan’s legend expands DMA as Drainage Management Area.
Water-related documents can use the same letters for different systems and reader tasks.
Original illustrative examples, not quotations or reports of actual events.
Use DMA with clarity
Does one drainage management area always correspond to exactly one BMP facility?
See all guidance
Read the area label
Keep the legend’s expansion.
This stormwater plan uses Drainage Management Area.
Read a facility label
Identify the separate facility object.
A BMP label is distinct from the DMA area label.
Read routing
Follow the stated diagram and legend.
A route can connect one area with more than one facility.
Compare the drainage area, facility labels and routing relationship in the supplied example.
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Spot a mistake or have a clearer example? Suggest a change.
By AcronymIndex Editorial Team · Editorial policy