STORMWATER: Workshops for large non-res property owners coming next month

It’s in the mail. Beginning September 21, we will provide large non-residential property owners with Regional Stormwater Management Program fee estimates.

This month, more than 2,500 large property owners will receive stormwater fee estimates and an invitation to a credit workshop.

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District will begin billing for the Regional Stormwater Management Program in January 2013. Beginning September 21, 2012, the Sewer District will mail letters to large non-residential property owners with impervious (hard) surface area measuring 99,000 or more square feet (33 ERUs, or “Equivalent Residential Unit”).

Other non-residential customers, as well as residential customers, will receive their letters in  November  through early December 2012. A sample copy of the residential letters is available on our Stormwater webpage.

What is an ERU? Each ERU measures 3,000 square feet of impervious area; this is the average amount of a residential property’s impervious surface in the Sewer District’s Stormwater Service Area. The amount billed to non-residential customers per ERU is $5.05, although some schools and school districts will qualify for a lower rate.

Impervious surfaces—hard surfaces such as rooftops and parking lots—do not allow stormwater to pass through and infiltrate, or soak, into the ground below. Rather, stormwater and surface pollutants flow off these surfaces quickly, causing flooding, streambank erosion and water quality problems.

Although billing will begin in January, the Regional Stormwater Management Program has been underway and projects are in progress; furthermore, detailed planning for 2013 projects is already underway. These projects are spread across the Sewer District’s Stormwater Service Area (shown in the map below) and include dam rehabilitation; fixing stream bank erosion threatening infrastructure, homes and buildings; and chronic street flooding. Read more about the program’s history and upcoming milestones.

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District stormwater service area map

“Over the past several years, the Sewer District has done extensive public outreach related to the Regional Stormwater Management Program,” said Julius Ciaccia, Executive Director. “The mailing is another proactive initiative we’re taking to ensure customers are fully informed about the program and the fee.”

Workshops for large non-residential property owners

The Sewer District will host a series of Regional Stormwater Management Workshops throughout the month of October to offer large non-residential property owners an opportunity to learn more about the Program and ways to reduce their bill(s) by applying for stormwater credits. These workshops are tailored to large non-residential customers and the letter will include registration information. The Sewer District will schedule additional workshops if necessary.

In November, the Sewer District will launch a new online customer service tool to enable residential and non-residential customers to determine their Stormwater Fee by looking up their property’s Permanent Parcel ID.

Stormwater Credit opportunities are available for residential and non-residential customers. Details about the Stormwater Credit Program and a copy of the Stormwater Fee Credit Manual are available online at www.neorsd.org/stormwater.

Note: A copy of the letter sent to large non-residential customers is available upon request.

About the Program

The Sewer District’s Regional Stormwater Management Program addresses flooding, streambank erosion and water quality problems throughout its defined Stormwater Service Area. In addition, the Sewer District will assume responsibility for millions of dollars of necessary maintenance along streams across the region.

In 2013 the average homeowner within the Sewer District’s Stormwater Service Area will be charged $5.05 per month, or $60.60 per year, to pay for regional stormwater-related construction projects and maintenance. The Sewer District has identified more than $220 million of needed construction projects, and detailed planning on some projects has already begun. These stormwater-related projects will provide relief to multiple communities within each watershed.

Additional information about the Regional Stormwater Management Program is available at www.neorsd.org/stormwater.