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1. How is the stormwater user fee calculated?

There are three categories of properties.
•Lots that contain less than 0.25 ERUs of impervious surface area (currently, 575 square feet) are exempt from the stormwater user fee.
•One-, two-, and three-family residences are assumed to contain 1 ERU of impervious surface area, and pay a flat fee of $14.25 per quarterly billing cycle (once very three months). Classification of a property as a one-, two-, or three-family residence is determined by the Tompkins County Department of Assessment.
•All other lots pay a user fee based upon the amount of impervious surface area located on the property. Lots containing 0.25 to 1 ERU pay $21.75 per quarter, and lots containing more than 1 ERU pay $21.75 per quarter per ERU, assessed in 0.25 ERU increments. (For example, a commercial property with 3,700 square feet of impervious surface area would pay $38.06 per quarter (3,700 / 2,300 = 1.60, which is rounded up to 1.75.) Owners of these lots may apply for credits against the stormwater user fee for eligible management practices or structures.

2. What is an Equivalent Residential Unit?

The City maintains a geographic database of all impervious surface areas located in the City. As of January 1, 2015, the average amount of impervious surface area on a property with a one-, two-, or three-family home is approximately 2,300 square feet. This value is used as an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) in determining the user fee for all lots that pay a user fee other than one-, two- and three-family homes.

3. Why do one-, two-and three-family homes pay a flat fee?

One-, two- and three-family homes have a roughly similar amount of impervious surface area. Given that similarity, charging a flat fee for these properties provides property owners with a consistent bill for which they can budget, and reduces the cost of administering the user fee, resulting in lower user fees. Properties that are billed the flat fee are not eligible for the credits against the stormwater user fee for engineered stormwater practices, discussed next.

4. How can I reduce my stormwater user fee?

The most effective way to reduce your stormwater user fee is to reduce the amount of impervious surface area on your property. For example, you could install a green roof or replace a concrete or gravel parking area with permeable pavers. All lots with less than ¼ of an ERU (currently 575 square feet) of impervious surface area are exempt from the user fee entirely.
The owner of a property that is not a one-, two-, or three-family residence and that has more than ¼ of an ERU of impervious surface area has another option available. In addition to reducing the amount of impervious surface area on your property (which can have a direct effect on the calculation of your stormwater user fee by reducing the number of ERUs for which you are billed), you can apply for a credit for certain engineered stormwater practices or structures on your property that provide quality treatment and/or quantity attenuation of the stormwater runoff from your property.
The application for a credit is available online in both Excel and PDF formats and in the office of the Superintendent of Public Works at City Hall. There is an application fee of $200 plus 10% of the calculated user free credit to pay for a portion of the staff time and processing costs involved in reviewing the request, including verifying calculations and conducting a field inspection. You will need to fill out the entire application and provide the Superintendent with information regarding your stormwater practice or structure. The application lists the practices or structures that the Board of Public Works has already made eligible for credits, and you can also request that the Board consider a practice or structure not already on the list.

5. How are credits calculated?

The credit for a given stormwater management practice or structure is equal to the product of:
• your stormwater user fee;
• the percentage of the impervious surface area on your property that is mitigated by the practice or structure;
• 20% if the practice or structure treats both treatment quality and quantity attenuation, or 10% if it only treats either treatment quality or quantity attenuation; and
• the practice or structure’s effectiveness as calculated as a percentage of an ideal stormwater management practice or structure.
The resulting amount will be deducted from your annualized stormwater user fee on a continuing basis as long as you maintain the effectiveness of the practice or structure.

6. What are the criteria for reviewing a credit application?

When reviewing an application for one of the credits approved by the Board of Public Works, the Superintendent uses the following criteria:
• The proposal must demonstrate that the practice will provide a quantifiable treatment and/or runoff control benefit to the site through engineered design principles.
• The watershed subcatchment leading to the practice must be clearly defined including the area, amount of impervious cover, flowpath, and existing and proposed land use.
• The credit for a structure will be prorated based on that structure’s treatment efficiency. For example, the credit for an otherwise-qualifying structure that is designed for ten percent (10%) water quality volume treatment efficiency will be reduced by ninety percent (90%), as compared with a structure designed for 100% efficiency.
• Designs must follow the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Stormwater Management Design Manual guidelines.
• You are responsible for practice operation and maintenance. Credits for unmaintained structures will be reduced or cancelled.

7. What if my credit application is denied?

You can appeal the denial of your application to the Board of Public Works. Information on the appeal process is included with the denial letter.