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
$5.43/month (1 ESU*)
Commercial, Multi-family, Industrial
Fees
$5.43/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.
