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Public Works - Stormwater

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1. What is the Stormwater Drainage System Services user fee?

On June 12, 2023, City Council adopted Ordinance No. 4882 which establishes a Stormwater Drainage System Utility and grants the City authority to collect user fees for stormwater drainage system services. These user fees would be dedicated to the operation, maintenance, and improvement to the City's stormwater drainage system to ensure compliance with the federally mandated regulations of the Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer System (MS4) Permit. 

The Stormwater Drainage System Services user fees shall function like the Wastewater user fees, Water user fees, and Solid Waste (Sanitation) user fees which are set by resolution of the City Council and placed in a dedicated enterprise fund. 

For more information on the Stormwater Drainage System Services user fees going into effect on January 1, 2024, please visit the Stormwater Drainage System Utility page. 

2. How does this Stormwater Drainage System Utility benefit me?

The City’s stormwater drainage system collects stormwater runoff from developed properties within Lewiston helps prevent flooding of residential and commercial properties, ensures that drainage from future growth does not impact existing properties, helps prevent damage to City roads, and protects the health of the public and the environment by reducing pollutants discharged to the system.

For more information, please visit the Stormwater Drainage System Utility page. 

3. Why is the City proposing a Stormwater Drainage System Services user fee now?

The City’s existing stormwater drainage system has gone without a dedicated revenue source for decades which has resulted in deteriorated stormwater infrastructure throughout the City. In addition, the City is facing federal regulatory requirements to comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit issued in 2020. The primary regulatory law is:

Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) – Phase II of the CWA, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), requires that the City be covered under and comply with a Federal stormwater permit in order to legally discharge municipal stormwater into local waterways (e.g. Lindsay Creek, Clearwater River, Snake River, etc.). The City has been under the NPDES Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit since November 1, 2020. In order to comply with the permit, the City must implement a stormwater program which meets the following requirements:

• Public Education, Outreach, and Involvement;
• Finding and Eliminating Illegal Polluted Discharges; 
• Construction Site Erosion and Sediment Control
• Post-Construction Stormwater Management on New Development and Redevelopment; 
• Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping for City Operations;
• Performing Outfall Monitoring and Assessment Activities for Discharges to Water Quality Impaired Stream and Creeks; and
• Keeping Records and Preparing Compliance Reports

4. What will the Stormwater Drainage System Services user fee be used for?

The monies collected from your monthly utility bill are deposited into specific revenue accounts called Enterprise Funds. The Stormwater Drainage System Services user fee revenue shall be collected and deposited into a fund designated as the Stormwater Fund and used only for the cost of providing stormwater drainage system services to customers within the City of Lewiston.

This revenue shall be used for the cost of service for the operation and maintenance of the City's stormwater drainage system including all related stormwater administration, planning, repair, improvement and regulatory compliance and enforcement costs, and for any redemption of bonds that are used to finance any system improvement.

The Stormwater Drainage System Services user fees shall function like the Wastewater user fees, Water user fees, and Solid Waste (Sanitation) user fees i.e. set by resolution of the City Council and placed in a dedicated enterprise fund. For more information on the Stormwater Drainage System Services user fees going into effect on January 1, 2024, please visit the Stormwater Drainage System Utility page.

5. What is a "Service Area"?

The Stormwater Drainage System Utility consists of two different service areas that reflect the primary characteristics of the Stormwater Drainage System and the nature and cost of services provided to customers within each service area:

• Service Area I is composed mainly of roadway gutters, inlets, and buried pipes
• Service Area II is composed mainly of roadway gutters, ditches, and swales (which do not flow into Service Area I)

You can find which Service Area your property is located by using this interactive map and searching by your address.

6. When would I start getting billed for this Stormwater Drainage System Services user fee?

The Stormwater Drainage System Services user fee, like the City’s Water, Wastewater, and Sanitation user fees, underwent a public hearing and presentation to City Council on August 14, 2023. Following the public hearing, City Council amended and approved the resolution with an effective date of January 1, 2024. 

For more information on the approved rates, please visit the Stormwater Drainage System Utility page. 

7. What does "Impervious Surface Area" mean?

As described in the Lewiston User Fee Study, Impervious Surface Area (ISA) means the total square footage of material on a property that resists or blocks the passage of water into soils as would occur under natural conditions. Examples of impervious surfaces include, but are not limited to, rooftops, roads, alleys, parking lots, sidewalks, patios, decks, graveled areas, and swimming pools. 

8. What does "Equivalent Residential Unit" mean?

As described in the Lewiston User Fee Study, an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) is the billing unit derived from a property’s Impervious Surface Area (ISA) which determines the stormwater user fee. One (1) ERU is equivalent to 4,500 square feet of ISA.

9. Why can’t we wait to collect these user fees?

Unlike the water, wastewater, and sanitation utilities, the City has not had dedicated user fees to fund, implement, and manage a full stormwater program including an appropriate standard of practice for stormwater asset management and capital improvements. Instead, the City has historically appropriated funds from the general fund to cover the most immediate stormwater drainage system needs. The inability to perform full maintenance functions due to lack of funding has resulted in a significant backlog of system repair, replacement, and improvement projects. 

The Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit went into effect on November 1, 2020 but the City does not have a dedicated funding mechanism to ensure compliance. Non-compliance with this permit would result in significant fines from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), therefore a dedicated funding mechanism needs to be secured to ensure permit compliance as soon as possible. 

10. How is the Stormwater Drainage System Services user fee billed?

The City's Stormwater Drainage System Utility is modeled after the Lewiston User Fee Study adopted by City Council on April 25, 2022. This study used a combination of aerial images and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology to measure the amount of Impervious Surface Area (ISA) present on a randomly selected sample of 150 single family residential properties within the City. Based on the data from this sample, the average amount of ISA on single family residential parcels was determined to be approximately 4,500 square feet. The City is using this measurement as the basis for the billing unit of the Stormwater Drainage System Services user fee i.e. the equivalent residential unit (ERU). 

The Stormwater Drainage System Services user fees are outlined in Resolution 2023-43 which underwent a public hearing and presentation to City Council on August 14, 2023. City Council amended and approved the resolution at a reduced rate with the effective date of January 1, 2024 remaining. 

For more information on the user fees, please visit the Stormwater Drainage System Utility page. 

11. Is the sidewalk along my property included in the calculation of my user fee?

No, they are not. Sidewalks fall under the City public road right-of-way and will not be included in the calculation of the Impervious Surface Area (ISA) on your property. As described in Lewiston City Code § 36-258(i), customers who believe that their fees are incorrect have the ability to complete a recalculation application.

12. Is the Stormwater Drainage System Services user fee included in the Utility Assistance Program?

If you currently qualify for the Utility Assistance Program, you are eligible for the Utility Assistance Program rate of the adopted Stormwater Drainage System Services user fees. For more information on the user fees, please visit the Stormwater Drainage System Utility page.

If you would like to see if you are eligible for the Utility Assistance Program, please contact Utility Billing at 208-746-3671 extension 0 or ubinquiries@cityoflewiston.org.

13. What happens if I don’t pay this user fee?

The Stormwater Drainage System Services user fee shall function like the Water, Wastewater, and Solid Waste (Sanitation) user fees. As described in Lewiston City Code § 36.5-16(b), if payment is not made on or before the fifteenth day of the month, the payment shall be considered delinquent; a late fee, as established by the City Council, shall be applied to the account on the twenty-first day of the month. Delinquent payments shall result in special assessments on your property as outlined in Lewiston City Code § 36.5-19. This user fee shall go into effect on January 1, 2024.

For more information on the Stormwater Drainage System Services user fees, please visit the Stormwater Drainage System Utility page. If you have questions about what utility bill payments options are available, please contact Utility Billing at 208-746-3671 extension 0 or ubinquiries@cityoflewiston.org.

14. Why would I pay this user fee if all of my stormwater stays on my property?

The City recognizes that some properties may not contribute to the City’s stormwater drainage system and may be eligible for a waiver upon meeting the criteria established in the Stormwater Drainage System Utility Fee Structure & Credit Policy (PDF). If you have any questions about whether your property would be eligible for a waiver, please contact the Stormwater Coordinator at 208-792-7950 or jwiemer@cityoflewiston.org.

15. Would the City be charged this user fee too?

Yes, the City will be charged this user fee. As the responsible party for the operation and maintenance of streets, roads, and/or publicly owned parking lots, the City must ensure said operation and maintenance is conducted in compliance with the Municipal Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit to protect water quality and reduce the discharge of pollutants; therefore, a 50% credit is applied to all Impervious Surface Area (ISA) within the public right-of-way.

There shall not be any waiver applied to buildings, facilities, public parks, open spaces, trails, and paths owned by the City of Lewiston per the Stormwater Drainage System Utility Fee Structure & Credit Policy (PDF).

If you have any questions about whether your property would be eligible, please contact the Stormwater Coordinator at 208-792-7950 or jwiemer@cityoflewiston.org.

16. What do I do when a storm water grate is plugged and causing water build up?

Please call the Public Works department at 208-746-1316 extension 0, email publicworks@cityoflewiston.org, or complete this online form so maintenance can be scheduled.

17. When it storms, the stormwater causes a big puddle by my driveway or washes the gravel from the end of my driveway. What do I do?

You can call the Public Works department at 208-746-1316 extension 0, email publicworks@cityoflewiston.org, or complete this online form so we can collect information for review.