Stormwater Fee and Funding

Stormwater fees lag behind rising maintenance costs
When the Memorial Day flood devastated Tulsa in 1984, the City had 57 detention ponds. Three years later, the first stormwater fee was collected to fund the flood control measures citizens had requested to save lives and property in the future. By 2000, there were 85 detention ponds plus other stormwater facilities operated and maintained by the Public Works Department. The number of ponds rose 33 percent, yet stormwater utility fees went up only 18 percent (using 1987 dollars to factor in inflation).

As the areas and facilities that must be maintained continue to grow, and with inflation, maintenance costs will rise again. Stormwater fees must keep pace to protect the City's investment in flood control structures and to implement additional measures necessary to improve Tulsa's quality of life.

Where does the stormwater program funding come from?
Public Works, in conjunction with the Stormwater Drainage Advisory Board and numerous citizen groups, has developed a phased implementation program for projects identified in the City's basin drainage plans. The projects are funded by stormwater fees, sales tax revenues or bond issues.  

Funding for Operations and Maintenance:
Residential Customer Fees                               $4.63/month (1 ESU*)
Commercial, Multi-family, Industrial Fees          $4.63/month for each ESU* * An Equivalency Service Unit – or ESU – is the projected annual cost of maintaining 2,650 square feet of property.

Funding for Large Capital Improvements:
Large capital projects are funded by City sales tax revenues and bond issues. The money is used for acquisition of lands and construction of large water retention facilities, major drainage basin improvements and other such large capital items.

Where does the stormwater fee money go?

As the pie chart shows, stormwater fees are used primarily for maintenance of stormwater detention facilities, stream channels, pumping stations, culverts, ditches and other drainage facilities.

After storms and when needed at other times, crews remove material blocking water flow in channels and detention sites. On average, they clean more than 22 miles of ditches and clear about 5 miles of drainage pipe each year. They remove tons of silt from channels and reconstruct eroded earthen channels.