Editor’s Comments: Tougher Than It Looks

A few months ago I mentioned a study, conducted by Western Kentucky University, that places the number of stormwater utilities in the United States at just over 1,400. At first glance that seems like quite a lot—but let’s put that number in perspective.

According to the US Geological Survey, the US has 35,000 cities and towns; that number includes unincorporated areas—anyplace, basically, with permanent residents. The City Mayors Foundation says there are 19,429 municipal governments within the US. By definition, the communities with governments are incorporated, and most of them likely have large enough populations to require some sort of stormwater—or at least flood control—efforts.

That means only about 7% of US communities that have a city government are using a utility to pay for stormwater. What are the rest of us doing?

Stormwater utilities make sense in many ways. They’re a fair way to collect money from those who actually use the services and infrastructure, and they ensure a more or less steady stream of revenue—steadier, at least, than that provided by relying on the general tax fund.

There are all sorts of reasons, of course, a given community might not need to consider a utility. Some are too small to be covered by an NPDES Phase II permit. Others are part of a multi-city permit, pooling resources with nearby communities and taking advantage of economies of scale and eliminating redundant effort in areas like public education and outreach. But I think there’s a more basic reason more communities aren’t using utilities: either they’ve tried to set one up and failed, or—seeing the number of other cities that have done just that—they’re not even making the attempt.

The article on page 16 of this issue illustrates the problem clearly. The process for creating a utility—at least if you want it to last—is a long and painstaking one. The city profiled in the article, Salem, OR, has experience on both sides of the issue. In the 1980s, Salem passed an ordinance authorizing a stormwater utility, but just a few months later, after tremendous public opposition, it was repealed. It took Salem nearly two decades to try again, this time successfully.

Fortunately, Salem’s second experience is one that can be duplicated, with enough planning, effort, and communication. There are many choices for a city to make when setting up a utility—from deciding how to set rates to determining billing options to figuring out what sort of credits, if any, to offer—but the essential step in all of it, as the article shows, is communicating what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

Janice Kaspersen is the editor of Stormwater magazine.