USER FEE FINANCING OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT TODAY WHO, WHAT, WHY & HOW?

In recent years hundreds of communities have replaced or supplemented tax funding of stormwater management operations with more adequate, equitable, and dependable user fee funding systems. The increasing national popularity and acceptance of stormwater user fee financing results from the fact that traditional ad valorem tax sources often provide an inadequate and erratic funding base at a time when stormwater management costs, and public, NPDES, and other regulatory agency mandates for service improvements continue to increase. This paper addresses the findings of a recent survey of North American user fee funded stormwater utility financial practices, conducted as a public service by Black & Veatch Corporation. It describes the key findings of this survey of 121 utilities representing 28 states and 2 provinces, and provides a revealing profile of current practices and possible trends in this fast growing industry.