The Stormwater Utility Fee is a source of funding for the City’s Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program (VESMP) and the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program. The City must operate these programs to meet Federal and State VESMP regulations and MS4 mandates.  As such, the City employs administrative staff within the Environmental Programs Division. These funds are also used to install and maintain stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) facilities, maintain existing stormwater management facilities, and ensure all new construction meets state VESMP standards and regulations. The Environmental Programs Division also works to implement flood mitigation strategies and protect our local waterways from the harms of unmanaged stormwater.  For more information click on this link: Stormwater Utility Ordinance

An 18-tier system assigns fee values based on the total square footage of impervious area on a given property. See the table below for the current fee assigned to each Tier:

The impervious area has been calculated for developed parcels throughout the city. This was done using GIS imagery, building plans, or on-site visits. Changes in impervious area and totals for new constructions are calculated by the Environmental Programs Division on a regular basis.

The graphic below shows how impervious area was calculated for an example property. 

Impervious area is any surface that does not allow water to percolate and/or soak into the soil. These are mainly artificial surface areas like rooftops, driveways, compacted gravel surfaces, sidewalks and parking lots. However, compacted soil can also be considered impervious if water can no longer soak into the ground.  

Stormwater quality and quantity credits are given to property owners in Tiers 2 through 18 for constructing, operating, and maintaining a Best Management Practice (BMP) that treats (quality) or detains (quantity) stormwater runoff from that property. Currently, up to a 1-tier reduction for quality and 1-tier reduction for quantity can be credited to a property for Stormwater Utility Fee reduction.

Parcels in Tier 1 (3,400 square feet or less) are not eligible to receive credits for a fee reduction. Tier 1 represents the minimum applied user fee.

For any questions regarding impervious area calculations for your property or the Stormwater Utility Fee, contact the Environmental Programs Division at 540-332-3858.

Clarifications to impervious area calculations can be addressed by contacting the Environmental Programs Division at 540.332.3858. After discussing site specific issues, staff can review your property in-person to confirm the amount of impervious are and determine if you currently qualify for credits. Staff can also advise you on what steps you can taken to obtain credits by reducing stormwater runoff from your property. As a reminder, properties in Tier 1 are not eligible for a fee reduction.  

All developed properties in the City are billed a Stormwater Utility fee, because those properties generate stormwater runoff. This runoff picks up pollutants that flow untreated into the city stormwater sewer system then into our creeks, streams, and waterways.  The City currently has a backlog (not built) of millions of dollars’ worth of pollution reduction and flood mitigation projects that are needed in order to meet the state and federal mandates of the MS4 programs. Currently the SW Utility Fee only covers the cost to administer these programs.

Questions regarding the address of specific properties should be directed to Randi Kerr at kerrrn@ci.staunton.va.us or 540-332- 3701.

Questions regarding ownership and/or property data of specific properties should be directed to the Assessor’s Office at 540.332.3827

The adopted ordinance states specifically that all properties will be assessed the Stormwater Utility Fee, which means that property owners, not renters, are responsible for payment.

Yes – City-owned properties, VDOT highway rights-of-way, cemeteries, and undeveloped parcels are exempt. All other properties are billed a stormwater utility fee, including federal, state and county properties within the City.

No – at this time the billing software can only process billing each property separately, on a bi-monthly basis.  You may however pre-pay any amount you wish (i.e. one year’s worth) and your account will reflect your pre-payments.

No – at this time the billing software can only process billing each property separately, on a bi-monthly basis. You may however pre-pay any amount you wish (i.e. one year’s worth) and your account will reflect your pre-payments.