I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on noise ordinances that incorporate decibel levels as the guide as to what is allowable or not. For anyone that has this type of regulation, is it a useful tool to have or more trouble than it's worth?

Anita,

We have a noise ordinance for the City but not for the County. It is 50/50 on usefulness due to the fact you must establish the noise is a nuisance to the general public and not to just one or two individuals. The decibel levels are good tools for guiding so long as you can articulate properly the accurate levels during offset times.

for instance, we had an issue with noise disturbance/nuisance from an automated carwash facility and its negative impact on a neighborhood:

1. we had to establish the time of no matter the day-to-day operations, the sound was too loud

2. we had to establish that the sound was constant, and

3. that the decibel levels were excessive outside of the operational area, reaching into the neighborhood

   It was concluded the sound was excessive within the alley but not that the decibel levels reached into the neighborhood; although you could hear the fans, the levels did not register above the allowed levels. A wall was built to help block some of the sound. In the end, it lowered the levels but did not completely relieve the residents of their concerns.

Good morning Anita,

Noise ordinances and all that is required to successfully pursue such matters can be beneficial but costly and complex. Our agency utilizes a noise ordinance and has successfully pursued cases via the judicial system via lengthy and expensive trials that were costly to all parties involved in one manner or another. The cost of equipment typically has averaged our agency around $10,000.00 per unit with annual calibration, training, and certification required for judicial proceedings increasing that number significantly. Software packages that accompany said sound level meters (SLM) are also expensive. The size of the jurisdiction/agency and frequency that such issues rise to a level where government intervention is necessary would help determine feasibility and sustainability.

Examples of the parameters utilized by this agency are provided below:

SOUND LEVEL LIMITS
BY RECEIVING PROPERTY

 

Receiving Property Category	Time	Sound Level Limit (dBA)	Sound Level Limit (dBC)
Residential, public space, institutional, or noise sensitive facility	7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.	65 60	84 79
Commercial or business	7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.	65 60	84 79
Industrial or manufacturing	At all times	70	89

The use of decibel levels, calibrated equipment, and trained/certified individuals capable of knowledgably testifying in judicial proceedings to resolve disputed noise issues has been quite beneficial in assuring quality of life issues for parties involved was assured. The above provided chart has been reviewed by attorneys and PHD's in the filed of acoustical engineering and found to be reasonable and consistent with case law to date. A review of differing noise ordinances by jurisdictions throughout Georgia can be found via Municode-Georgia. The use of such noise ordinances and the required equipment to do so has been beneficial within our jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction has to weigh the benefits against the investment as related to cost and time and the benefit or lack thereof that it affords the citizens of the communities they serve.

Great information from an expert in the field!