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REQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What
are the problems with Stormwater? Pollution:
Every time it rains, the rainwater that is not absorbed into the ground or
evaporated (called runoff) carries contaminants from lawns, streets,
buildings and parking lots and deposits them directly into our city lakes
through the underground storm sewer system. Better pollution control and
treatment is needed to reduce the amount of contamination flowing into our
local waterbodies. Flooding:
Early stormwater management practices focused on preventing flooding.
Because of rigorous design standards and City capital investment, flooding
from normal summer storms has been dramatically reduced; however, trouble
spots still remain. Funding:
Stormwater Management has been funded in the past through property taxes
and other general fund revenues. Many projects were deferred to pay for
more critical operations of the City such as police and fire. However,
what one pays for stormwater management should be related to what is
actually passed off the parcel into the City's stormwater system, not the
value of the property from which it came. What
is a Stormwater Utility? A
Stormwater Utility is to stormwater what a sewer utility is to sewage, and
a water utility is to drinking water. It is a "stand-alone"
service unit within the City government which generates revenues through
fees for service. A stormwater utility is responsible for funding the
operation, construction and maintenance of stormwater management devices,
for stormwater system planning, and lake management. A stormwater utility
generates its revenue through user fees. The fee is based on the amount of
stormwater a particular parcel passes to the stormwater system. The more
runoff a parcel contributes, the greater the fee. How
much is the fee? Each
single-family parcel will be charged based on lot size. A typical 7,760
square foot lot will pay $66.00 per year. The maximum fee any
single-family residence will pay is $75.90 per year for lots 9,700 square
feet and larger. The minimum fee for a single-family residence is $46.20
per year for lots 3,880 square feet and smaller.
Multi-family
parcels will pay based on how many Equivalent Residential units,
or "ERUs", there are on the parcel, and the maximum fee per
dwelling unit will be the same as that of a single-family residential
parcel. Non-residential
developed parcels will be charged based on how many ERUs of runoff is
generated from the parcel, at $66.00 per ERU.
Vacant
parcels will be charged $34.32 per acre, with a minimum charge of one
acre. How
will the Stormwater Utility Fee be billed? The
charge is a service fee, not a tax. However, to save administrative costs,
it will be billed annually on the property tax bill and collected by the
tax collector.
What
is an Equivalent Residential Unit or ERU? An
ERU is a unit of measure which serves as an index to compare the runoff
generated by different size properties with different amounts of
impervious surface. Impervious surface is any surface which does not allow
water to pass through to the soil. Rooftops, driveways, parking lots and
streets are familiar examples of impervious surface. In Orlando, the
average residential unit (a weighted average of both single-family and
multi-family parcels) consists of 2,000 square feet of impervious surface.
One ERU is equal to 2,000 square feet, two ERUs are equal to 4,000 square
feet, etc. A non-residential property which has 12,000 square feet of
impervious surface (six ERUs) is passing the same amount of stormwater to
the City's stormwater system as six typical residential parcels would
generate.
What
if there are stormwater facilities installed on a property? The
billing formula allows for a discount on the fees charged for those
non-single family residential properties which have stormwater facilities
designed and built in accordance with the land development code subsequent
to the adoption of the Stormwater Design Criteria in 1984. Those
properties meeting this provision are entitled to have up to a 42%
reduction in their fee, but not less than the minimum charge. What
about vacant property and public property like schools and parks? Since
rain falls on all property, all property will be charged. Vacant property
will be charged a minimum fee based on acreage. Schools, churches, etc.,
will be charged just like shopping centers; based on the number of ERUs on
the site.
Is
there a minimum base charge? Yes,
there is a minimum charge. The minimum is based on the concept that even
if no parcel contributed any runoff to the City system, rain falling on
City streets still has to be managed. The costs of managing that
stormwater have been assigned equally to all parcels in the form of a
minimum charge. The yearly minimum charge, called the base fee, is set at
$26.40 per ERU and is typically already included in the $66 amount
mentioned above. If
a property is not on a lake and is considered high and dry, why is it
charged? There
may not be a problem on a specific piece of property or in a neighborhood,
but the runoff from the property and the neighbor's property contributes
proportionately to the City's overall stormwater system. All of those who
enjoy living in Orlando "The City Beautiful" benefit from
positive actions to manage stormwater problems, and they all suffer when
these problems are not addressed. How
will problems such as street flooding be solved? The
City has developed a Capital Improvement Plan which outlines the projects
which will be undertaken to reduce pollution and minimize flooding. The
City staff is aware of many drainage problems, but if a citizen knows of
others, they can call Streets & Drainage at 407-246-2238 to
report problems. Not every drainage problem can be fixed immediately (it
has taken nearly 100 years to create the present situation), but the City
of Orlando is committed to working to solve these problems as quickly as
possible.
Is
growth and new development the cause of all of these problems? New development approved and built in the City since 1984 have had to meet strict regulations on the quality and quantity of stormwater runoff. New development is required to contain and treat their polluted stormwater runoff, but in older neighborhoods, there are no easy or cost effective ways to clean this runoff prior to entering the lakes. Many of our current problems are caused by stormwater runoff from development occurring before 1984. Today's cost to remove, replace and upgrade old pipes and drainage systems exceeds the cost to build new systems.
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What are the problems with Stormwater? 