Storm Water Utility

What is a Storm Water Utility?
No matter whether you live in an older or newer part of Mason, you may notice flooding in your neighborhood after an extended heavy rain.

The city's storm sewer system is a separate system from the one that collects wastewater from your home. The wastewater collection system (sewer system) carries wastewater to the Water Reclamation Facility for treatment. Storm water, on the other hand, is produced by rain or melting snow and runs into the city's storm sewers. Storm sewer drains are usually located in the street along the curb. These empty into a collection system that eventually empties directly into area lakes and streams. This is why street sewers should never be used to dispose of pet wastes, oils, paint cleaners, or other household materials.

The City of Mason faces the dual challenge of maintaining its aging storm water infrastructure in the older portion of the city and overseeing an expanding drainage system in developing areas. The city has a list of over 80 projects that would contribute to better storm water management if they were completed. These projects, located in areas throughout the city, range from correcting smaller backyard drainage problems to reconstructing whole sections of the storm sewer system.

Storm water management began in Mason in November 1998, when the city established a Storm Water Advisory Committee in recognition of the impending federal mandate. This committee of Mason residents and business representatives presented their recommendation to create a new Storm Water Utility to City Council in 2001.

In April 2001, City Council approved the storm water utility. Collections for the utility began in October 2001. The utility established a funding source for storm water management projects in the city. These projects will help maintain and improve the existing storm water system, as well as improve water quality in all streams throughout Mason. Current efforts include starting work from the city's Capital Improvement Projects list, creating an inventory of the storm water collection system components, maintaining and repairing those components, and implementing several of the Best Management Practices required by the Phase II permit.

What is the Storm Water Utility fee?
Residential and business owners see a small charge on their monthly utility bill, with the revenues earmarked solely for storm water purposes. Residents of Mason pay just $3 per month per residential unit for the storm water utility. Businesses pay a fee based on the amount of impervious surfaces on their property (surfaces that do not absorb water.) Impervious surfaces include roofs, parking lots, sidewalks, etc.
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City Begins New Phase of Storm Water Management

Governments and environmentalists have long been concerned about pollution in our nation's lakes and streams. Over the years, as new regulations were put into place and industries and corporations stopped discharging wastes into waterways, pollution levels dropped significantly. Now, pollutants that are carried into local streams off of driveways, roads, lawns, and fields by rain and melting snow are being targeted for control.

To address these storm water pollutant concerns, the City of Mason, along with over 480 other local governments across Ohio, was required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to apply for a Phase II storm water permit by March 2003. As part of the permit process, cities are required to implement a Storm Water Management Program that will reduce storm water pollutant discharges to the "maximum extent practicable."

On March 10, 2003, City Council approved the Storm Water Management Program for the permit application. The program is a combination of existing Best Management Practices and new practices suggested by the U.S. EPA that specifically address water quality.

As cities across Ohio and the nation implement their Storm Water Management Programs, pollutants carried into streams and lakes by runoff from storm water will be reduced, creating a more healthy environment for everyone.