SOME Americans are essentially shelling out cash each month for rain under a sneaky fee that tacks on extra charges to your bills.
Local governments in nine US areas add the controversial charges, but there’s a number of ways you can fight back.
A rainwater fee, also called a stormwater utility fee or runoff fee, is charged by a municipality to manage stormwater runoff.
A number of cities and counties across the country impose this extra charge on property owners in order to fund the maintenance and improvement of stormwater systems such as drains, pipes, and catch basins, helping to prevent pollution.
The fee also helps pay for things such as cleaning streets, treating stormwater runoff, complying with environmental standards, and preventing flooding.
Municipalities often calculate the fee using the amount of hard, impervious surface on a property because these types of surfaces contribute more to stormwater runoff and pollution.
Examples of impervious surfaces include roofs, driveways, parking lots, and sidewalks.
In some locations, the rainwater fee may be included on your utility bill, while in others, homeowners and renters may indirectly pay the charge via rent.
While some Americans view the fee as a necessary way to fund stormwater management and manage pollution, others view it as an unfair “rain tax.”
Homeowners and renters in eight US states plus Washington DC are subject to the controversial stormwater utility fee.
1. MARYLAND
Maryland’s rainwater fee was rolled out statewide to fund stormwater management with the goal of reducing pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and local waterways.
Although the fee was originally mandated statewide, legislation in 2015 permitted local jurisdictions to opt out of the mandatory charge.
Some jurisdictions charge a flat fee each year while others charge based on the amount of impervious surface on the property, with fees ranging from a few dollars to several hundred dollars.
For large commercial properties, the stormwater fees can reach in the thousands.
2. OKLAHOMA
While there is no statewide rainwater fee in Oklahoma, some cities and towns opt to charge residents these fees to help them meet environmental regulations related to stormwater quality, such as those set by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
Some cities, such as Oklahoma City, calculate the fee based on the size of the water meter serving a property, assuming larger meters correspond with more impervious surface and runoff.
What is a rainwater fee?
A rainwater fee, stormwater utility fee, or runoff fee, is a charge that property owners pay to manage the runoff from rain and help fund the systems that handle stormwater.
The fee helps to prevent flooding, reduce water pollution carried in runoff, and comply with federal and state environmental regulations.
The fee is typically calculated based on the amount of impervious surface – such as roofs, driveways, and parking lots – on a property, as these surfaces prevent water from soaking into the ground and contribute to higher volumes of runoff.
The more runoff that a property generates, the higher the fee.
This approach is considered a fairer way to fund stormwater management than using general property taxes, as it is based on a property’s contribution to the runoff issue.
Other cities in Oklahoma, like Edmond, Broken Arrow, and Tulsa, use a system based on the amount of impervious surface on a property, often measured in ESUs.
For example, in Tulsa, residential customers pay $12.22 per month per ESU, while commercial, multi-family, and industrial properties pay $10.63.
3. PENNSYLVANIA
Although there is not a statewide stormwater fee in Pennsylvania, individual municipalities can implement their own charges to fund stormwater management programs.
These fees are becoming increasingly common in the state and are currently in place in urban and rural areas, with at over 80 municipalities utilizing them.
For example, Harrisburg, the state capital charges a rainwater fee, as does Philadelphia, which charges a monthly fee to all properties based on the type of property and impervious area.
Pittsburgh also charges a stormwater fee, using a tiered system for residential properties.
The city has fees ranging from around $5 to $20 per month, depending on the amount of impervious area, with the cost for an average home hovering around $7.95 per month.
4. VIRGINIA
Several cities and counties in Virginia charge stormwater utility fees in order to address local needs and meet regulatory requirements.
Many localities are required to comply with state and federal regulations regarding stormwater management, especially those related to the Chesapeake Bay.
Localities including Alexandria, Chesapeake, Arlington, Winchester, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach all charge a service fee for stormwater management.
Often, a flat rate is charged to single family homes, mobile homes, and multifamily dwellings, and condos.
In Chesapeake, for example, residential property owners pay $11.35 per month in rainwater fees, billed twice a year as $68.10, to fund a Comprehensive Stormwater Management Program.
5. OREGON
Many regions in Oregon have a stormwater fee, including Portland, Gresham, Eugene, Grants Pass, and Rogue Valley.
These local fees are implemented to cover the costs of operating and maintaining stormwater drainage infrastructure, rolling out programs aimed at reducing pollution from runoff, and repairing and constructing stormwater management systems.
Over in Portland, the city charges properties a Stormwater Service Unit Charge at a rate of $6.31 per service unit per 30 days, with service units based on the number of dwelling units for residential properties.
Residents of Portland also have to pay for a Stormwater Billable Area Charge at a rate of $14.013 per 1,000 square feet of stormwater billable area per 30 days for residential properties.
Billable area includes impervious surfaces such as rooftops, patios, and driveways.
Can you avoid the rainwater fee?
In some places, you are able to avoid paying the controversial stormwater utility fee.
You may qualify for fee reductions if you install:
- Rain barrels
- Green roofs
- Permeable pavement
- Rain gardens
Some cities and counties offer credits or exemptions for low-income homeowners or conservation efforts.
6. WASHINGTON DC
Washington DC has a stormwater fee in place called the Stormwater Fee, charged by the District Department of Energy and Environment.
The fee is based on the amount of impervious surface on a property and is paid by both commercial and residential property owners.
The fee is calculated depending on the number of ERUs, or Equivalent Residential Units, on a property, with one ERU equivalent to 1,000 square feet of impervious surface.
The fee is listed as a separate charge on DC Water bills.
7. TEXAS
A number of cities in Texas charge residents a stormwater utility fee, such as:
- San Antonio
- San Marcos
- Lewisville
- Sugar Land
- Corpus Christi
- Benbrook
- Frisco
- Seguin
- Austin
- Abilene
- Fort Worth
- Plano
Over in the state’s capital, Austin, a rainwater fee is charged based on a property’s impervious cover and used to fund the city’s Watershed Protection Department’s efforts to manage stormwater runoff and mitigate its effects.
In San Antonio, the fee was rolled out under the City Council 1993 in response to the federal Water Quality Act of 1987, with residential owners paying roughly $4 to $10.50 each month, depending on the amount of impervious area on their property.
8. ILLINOIS
Several municipalities in Illinois charge a stormwater utility fee, such as Libertyville, Champaign, Peoria, Rock Island, Buffalo Grover, Wheaton, Western Springs, Moline, East Moline, Decatur, Hoffman Estates, and Wilmette.
A handful of municipalities in the state use a tiered system based on the amount of impervious area on a property.
For example, Wilmette utilizes tiers for single-family homes, with annual rates ranging from $176.25 to $277.
Other areas, such as Libertyville, also use metrics like ERUs and IDFs to calculate rainwater fees, with an average charge of $17 per month.
9. SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina has stormwater fees in several municipalities, typically collected through property tax bills.
Fee amounts vary by municipality, generally based on the amount of impervious surface on a property and calculated using ERUs.
Several cities have these fees in effect, such as Columbia, Charleston, and Spartanburg.
In Columbia, the base fee for single-family residential units is $15.03 per month, while other properties are charged based on their impervious area.
Charleston homeowners pay around $11 monthly fee that is included in their water bills, with all the revenue going directly to the city to fund stormwater management programs.
Counties including Berkeley and Beaufort also charge residents rainwater fees.
