Why are we being charged for stormwater?

During wet-weather events, impervious areas on developed land generate polluted runoff, and local governments need to spend money to clean it up. A property owner pays a water bill that covers municipal costs to provide potable water, including the costs of building out and maintaining underground infrastructure. Similarly, private property owners must also contribute to the cost of managing the pollution and flood risk created by the impervious areas they own.


In order to provide revenue to fund the costs associated with a stormwater management program, there is hereby established a stormwater management fee. All revenues collected from the stormwater management fee shall be deposited to the stormwater management fund. In 1991, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed regulations to help curb pollution from stormwater runoff. Contamination can result from exposure of materials such as chemicals, dirt, debris, fuels, raw materials, fertilizers, pesticides, and animal wastes. Under this regulation, municipalities and "urbanized areas" of less than 100,000 in population were regulated by what is called the Phase II Stormwater Program. This permit (the second permit was finalized in November of 2015) requires the development and implementation of educational. operating and maintenance of a program to control stormwater pollution through: 1. Public Education and Outreach: 2. Public Participation and Involvement; 3. Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination; 4. Construction Site Run-Off Control 5. Post-Construction Management; and 6. Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations. The requirements of the Phase II Stormwater Management Program is federally and state mandated but not funded. The Stormwater Utility Fee was implemented to covers our requirements.

Show All Answers

1. What is the stormwater fee?
2. Why are we being charged for stormwater?
3. How do I get an item that has fallen into a storm inlet retrieved?
4. Who replaces storm drain manhole covers/lids?
5. Can I get definitions to some Stormwater Acronyms and frequently used Stormwater Phrases?
6. What does all the Acronyms and Abbreviations for Stormwater stand for?
7. Do other cities have stormwater utilities?
8. What services are provided through the Stormwater Utility?
9. What is stormwater runoff?
10. I live on high ground, why should I have to pay the stormwater fee?
11. When will the storm drains be cleaned in our area?
12. When will the drainage easement be cleaned in our area?
13. Who un-plugs the storm inlets, drains?
14. How do I get a final inspection for a storm line?
15. What do I do to report bad odors from a storm drain inlet?
16. What is a stormwater illicit discharge?
17. How do I report erosion control problems from construction sites?
18. I am told I have a drainage (or floodplain or surface water flowage) easement in my yard. What is an easement?
19. Doesn’t stormwater go to the wastewater treatment plant?
20. Why is stormwater management important?
21. What problems does stormwater runoff cause?
22. Why are the stormwater and sewer systems separate?
23. What is nonpoint source pollution?
24. What is Composite Runoff Coefficient (C-Factor)?
25. Will all properties have to pay the stormwater fee?
26. I have a drainage problem in and/or near my property, how do I get it fixed?
27. My area of town is built out and has an adequate storm drain system so why do I have to pay the stormwater fee?
28. Why should I have to pay the stormwater fee if we have a detention/retention pond?
29. How can the city charge an additional fee without an election?
30. Is this utility a way for new developments to avoid their responsibilities for managing stormwater?
31. What are the key concerns for the City of Miami Stormwater Management?
32. What are some stormwater pollutants?
33. What can Miami Citizens do to help protect the Neosho River?
34. Why do I have to pay the Stormwater Utility Fee when I am not on the City sewer or water?