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Storm Water FAQs |
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General Questions
The Storm Water Utility Fee was created by the City Council on April 26, 2004. The fee is dedicated to improving drainage, controlling flooding, improving water quality and implementing the EPA water quality regulations in Bloomington. The Storm Water Utility Fee is based on how each property affects the drainage system.
City Staff reviewed information from various government entities including the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. Staff then determined the criteria to be followed to meet the Phase 2 requirements. The fee structure was created in March, 2004 after a rate study was completed by an independent consultant.
The Storm Water Utility Fee is used to provide for the management, protection, control, regulation, use and enhancement of the storm water systems and to facilities owned or operated by the City of Bloomington. It is also used for implementing the new EPA water quality regulations.
When it rains or snow melts, storm water runs off driveways, parking lots, sidewalks and roofs into the storm water drainage system. The drainage system includes storm sewers, ditches, culverts, ravines, streams and roadside swales that carry rainwater away from roads and private property. The more asphalt, rooftops and other hard surfaces the rainwater hits, the more runoff our system has to handle. The fee will pay for projects that improve drainage and reduce water pollution and neighborhood flooding as well as implementing the new EPA water quality regulations.
The Engineering Department manages the Storm Water Utility.
Historically, a Sanitary Sewer Fund has paid the operating costs of all the sanitary sewers, combined sewers and storm sewers. Fees on the utility bill were based upon a customer's consumption of drinking water. This was an easy system to administer and understand, but there is no direct relationship between drinking water and storm sewer demand. Rather than increase Storm Sewer rates to cover the increasing storm sewer system costs, the City decided to investigate the creation of a Storm Water Utility that would allow storm sewer system costs to be spread among the users in a more equitable manner.
Please call (309) 434-2423 or email stormwater@cityblm.org for answers to technical questions regarding the storm water utility fee.
The fee is based on the premise that everyone should pay his or her fair share. Single family detached homes pay a fee based upon the gross property area. Small parcels with a gross area less than 7,000 square feet pay $2.90 per month. Medium sized parcels with a gross area greater than 7,000 square feet and less than 12,000 square feet pay $4.35 per month. Large sized parcels with a gross area greater than 12,000 square feet pay $7.25 per month.
For other properties, aerial photography was used to measure the actual hard surface area and the fee owed. The total impervious area (in square feet) is divided by 1,000 and the result is rounded up to the next integer as a means of determining the number of Impervious Area Unit(s) (IAU) attributed to a parcel. There is a base fee of $1.45 per IAU per month. However, parcels less than or equal to 4,000 square feet shall be charged a flat rate equivalent to four (4) IAUs at a rate of $5.80 per month. Parcels greater than 4,000 square feet will be charged for the actual number of IAUs within the parcel OR four (4) IAUs, whichever is greater.
Storm Water Utility Fees are not a tax, therefore all entities including churches and nonprofit organizations are required to pay the fee to support and improve storm water systems. The Storm Water Utility Fee is designed so that members of the community fund the program in relation to how their property uses the storm water system.
Storm water runoff can be directly attributed to impervious area. Asphalt, concrete, rooftops, and other hard surface areas do not allow rain water to soak into the ground. This allows the water to fill up the streams more quickly, and at higher levels. The additional water load on the storm system can cause flooding during heavy rains. The additional usage of the system also increases maintenance repairs to do the accelerated erosion of ditches, and the storm water system.
Impervious area, as defined by the ordinance, is area that prevents or impedes the infiltration of storm water into the soil. Common impervious areas include, but are not limited to, rooftops, sidewalks, walkways, patio areas, driveways, parking lots, storage areas, compacted aggregate and awnings.
Infiltration is the process of allowing runoff to penetrate the ground surface and flow through the upper soil surface.
Alleys, roadways or highways which are on dedicated public right of way will not be assessed a Storm Water Utility Fee. All other alleys, roadways or highways will be assessed a Storm Water Utility Fee based upon their impervious area.
An IAU is an Impervious Area Unit. The IAU is used as the basis for determining the Storm Water Utility Fee to a parcel. One thousand (1,000) square feet of impervious area shall be equal to one (1) IAU. The number of IAUs attributed to a parcel are determined by dividing the total impervious area (in square feet) of the parcel by one thousand (1,000) and rounding the result up to the next integer.
Residential Questions
Billing is scheduled to begin in October, 2004 and will be included with the regular utility bill.
Billing will be on a monthly basis for all properties and should be on your regular utility bill.
Yes. This is an entirely separate fee from water/sewer fees. The Storm Water Utility Fee helps fund drainage improvements, operation and maintenance of the storm water conveyance system and new EPA water quality regulations and does not address sanitary sewers or city water lines.
While in the short term, storm water does collect in the retention pond/basin, the storage provided is temporary and the City of Bloomington provides an outlet for the basin. Eventually, the storm water collected must drain out. The infrastructure (storm sewers, ditches, culverts) the City of Bloomington operates and maintains still carries the same volume of water, it is just released more slowly.
If a storm drain is damaged or is not working properly and causes water to flood a roadway and adjacent area please call the Public Service department at (309) 434-2220. The problem may not be fixed immediately, but it will be investigated and prioritized.
Yes. All properties within the City of Bloomington Corporate limits are required to pay this fee, regardless of when they were purchased.
The person receiving the utility bill for the property is responsible for paying this fee. However, ultimate responsibility for ensuring this fee is paid rests on the Owner of Record as determined by the records on file at the McLean County Courthouse.
The Storm Water Utility fee should appear on your monthly utility bill. If it is not listed, please contact the Water Billing Division at (309) 434-2495 to report this problem.
The person receiving the utility bill for the property is responsible for paying this fee. However, ultimate responsibility for ensuring this fee is paid rests on the Owner of Record as determined by the records on file at the McLean County Courthouse. However, you should refer to your lease to determine if you have otherwise contractually obligated yourself to pay this fee.
If you think something "illegal" has been or is currently being dumped into a storm water inlet, please call the Storm Water Utility Hotline at (309) 434-2423. Please indicate where the storm water inlet is located, what day and time the dumping has or is occurring, and, if possible, a description of the property, person(s) or vehicle(s) that is either dumping the "illegal" item or from which it is originating.
Credit Questions
Yes. The City of Bloomington has developed a system of credits for storm water service customers who have facilities or controls in place to temporarily store or treat storm water runoff.
A credit, as defined by the ordinance, is a conditional reduction in the amount of a Storm Water Utility Fee to an individual property based upon the provisions of the Bloomington Storm Water Credit Manual. In order to qualify for a credit, one of two conditions must be met:
1. You must own and maintain a detention basin that meets the requirements of the City of Bloomington's Subdivision Code or;
2. You must be an entity which directly discharges to Sugar Creek, Skunk Creek, Pheasant Creek, Goose Creek, or Kickapoo Creek without flowing through any portion of the Municipal Sewer System, and the entity in question must be arranged in such a manner that no surface flow from said property is discharged from it without first undergoing an NPDES permitted water treatment process approved by the Director of Engineering shall be eligible for a 100% Rate Reduction Credit.
Individual single family homes are not eligible for Storm Water Credit unless they are part of a subdivision which owns and maintains its own detention basins.
The storm water credit program is designed to encourage sound technical practices that reduce the negative impact of development on the drainage system through a simple but effective credit system. Properties whose impact to the storm drainage system is significantly limited or has been effectively reduced through specific controls will be entitled to a credit adjustment applied to the Storm Water Utility Fee.
The credit manual is available by contacting the City of Bloomington's Engineering Department at:
Engineering Department
Attn.: Storm Water Utility Credit
PO BOX 3157
Bloomington, IL 61702-3157
(309) 434-2225
or you may download the credit manual here.
All credit applications should be submitted to the City of Bloomington's Engineering Department, complete with all applicable documentation, at:
Department of Engineering
Attn.: Storm Water Utility Credit
PO BOX 3157
Bloomington, IL 61702-3157
Applications can be submitted by mail at any time or may be dropped off at our office at 115 E. Washington Street during normal business hours.
Credits are applied indefinitely unless modifications are made to the storm water facility, or revisions are made to the City Code. If additional improvements are made, the property owner may apply for a new credit based on the modifications.
After the application and all fees have been received a completed credit application will be reviewed within 60 days. If any information is missing or incomplete a deficiency letter is sent to the contact person. The review will continue and be completed within an additional 60 days after the additional information is received.
Billing Questions
The Storm Water Utility Fee was considered in public hearings and publicized in the news media when it was passed on April 26, 2004. The Department of Engineering has spoken to officials representing industry, businesses, schools and other affected property owners. More outreach is underway for those who were not previously informed.
Billing is on a monthly basis and should be on your next regular utility bill.
The Storm Water Utility fee is a part of the monthly Utility Bill. The City Ordinances are written such that all utility fees are paid first, with the remaining funds applied toward the water usage fee. Failure to pay the Storm Water Utility Fee would result in a delinquent utility bill and could result in an interruption of the water service to your property.
If you believe an error has been made in calculating your Storm Water Utility Fee, you should contact the Engineering Department Storm Water Hotline at (309) 434-2423 for an explanation of how the fee was calculated.
If you still disagree with the Storm Water Utility Fee calculations, you will need to provide the Engineering Department with a survey prepared by a registered land surveyor or professional engineering containing information on the total property area, the impervious surface area, and any storm water management features, such as detention ponds or conditions which influence the hydrologic response of the property to rainfall events. The Engineering Department will review all information submitted and determine the appropriate Storm Water Utility fee based upon submitted information.
If you wish to appeal, you may file a formal written appeal to the City of Bloomington's Construction Board of Appeals, which meets the second Tuesday of every month. You must file your appeal no later than one week before the meeting. There is a $125 filing fee for each appeal. All materials you have provided to the Engineering Department will be forwarded to the Construction Board of Appeals for further review once the filing fee has been paid.
All appeals will be reviewed by the City of Bloomington's Construction Board of Appeals. This Board meets the second Tuesday of every month. If you wish to have your appeal heard by the Construction Board of Appeals, you must file your appeal no later than one week before the meeting. There is a $125 filing fee for each appeal. The appropriate changes to the Storm Water Utility fees will be made once the Construction Board of Appeals has ruled on your case. The changes will be reflected in your next monthly water bill.
Bills are sent to the customer of record as listed in the Utility billing database. Please call (309) 434-2423 for more information regarding how to change the manner in which this fee is billed.
Yes. Please contact the Engineering Department at (309) 434-2423 for more information regarding how to combine multiple Storm Water Utility Fees onto one utility bill.
Bills are generated using the most recent property owner information available. Sometimes information is not the most recent and bills are sent out incorrectly. Also, properties that have two percent or more of their total area as impervious are charged at least 2 IAUs. If you feel that you have received this bill in error please bring a copy of your bill and any additional information you believe will be beneficial to the City of Bloomington Engineering Department at the following address:
City of Bloomington
Engineering Department
PO BOX 3157
Bloomington IL 61702-3157
A sanitary sewer system is the underground piping that receives any waste products that are flushed down a drain, rinsed out in a sink, or otherwise disposed of in residential or commercial plumbing lines within a structure. This system then guides these waste products to the Bloomington Normal Water Reclamation District where they are properly processed.
A storm sewer system is the system of street gutters, street curbs, storm drain inlets and underground piping that are used to collect storm water from within an area and guide it to a drainage ditch or basin. The waters collected in the drainage ditch or basin are then guided to a stream where it is properly discharged.
A combination sewer system is a sewer system that contains both sanitary sewer components and storm sewer components. These are most commonly found in the older areas of the City of Bloomington. The City of Bloomington is striving to reduce the number of combination sewers in an attempt to reduce the work load placed on the Bloomington Normal Water Reclamation District and to prevent damage to individual structures which may occur if this type of sewer system becomes overloaded during a heavy rainfall.
Storm Water Fees may be split between tenants using the following criteria:
1. The fees must be split evenly between all tenants
2. House Meter and No Tenant Meters - all fees on House Meter
3. House Meter and Tenant Meters:
A. Fees evenly split between all meters, including Tenant and House Meter or
B. Fees evenly split between all TENANT meters, no fees to HM
4. Tenant Meters Only - Fees split evenly to all Tenant Meters
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