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Stormwater fee increase information
(unincorporated Volusia County)

Last year's hurricanes brought to light Volusia County's vulnerability to flooding during periods of heavy rains. As a result, on June 2, 2005, the Volusia County Council voted to increased the county's annual stormwater fee to generate additional revenue to address an estimated $25 million in identified stormwater management, flood control and pollution projects.

If you are a residential customer (single-family dwelling) your fee will increase from $30/year to $72/year, assessed with your annual property tax bill in October. The maximum the County Council could choose to increase the fee to is $96 annually.

Fees for developments are calculated based on an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) of 2,775 square feet of impervious (water can't get through) surface. Developments would pay $6/month per ERU, without fee reductions for large parcels.

Some developments are eligible for credit from the fee increase.

Media release: County proposed stormwater fee increase to address flooding, pollution concerns

Stormwater ordinance for developed property (pdf format)
Stormwater Utility fees comparison
Draft resolution (pdf format)

Stormwater Project Listing (pdf format)
Stormwater Project Map (pdf format)
Need the Acrobat Reader? Click here to download.

To listen to an archived tape of the June 2, 2005 public hearing for this issue, please visit www.volusia.org/countycouncil/archive.htm

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Why are you increasing my fees?
Volusia County is committed to providing a higher level of service to our citizens in the unincorporated area. This is the first increase in fees since the program started in 1993. The 1993 fee was used as a start-up to build the program, which included development of watershed management plans. In 2005, we now have over $25 million in long-term capital projects. This includes projects to reduce pollution of our lakes, rivers, and streams, as well as address flooding problems. We have also identified the need to increase the frequency of maintenance of our stormwater systems. We also must comply with State and Federal regulatory programs to reduce stormwater pollution and restore impaired water bodies. We cannot accomplish these goals within a reasonable time frame using the 1993 funding rate. For example, it is estimated that our current capital improvement program using the existing funding rate, would take over 25 years to complete, not including any additional projects that are identified.

I have a stormwater retention pond serving my property. Why do I pay?
Having a stormwater facility reduces the burden of stormwater management to the County, but does not eliminate it. There are still management, maintenance, and regulatory costs that must be incurred. The proposed stormwater ordinance will offer a credit (fee reduction) for stormwater systems serving developed properties. Details of the credit will be available in the final ordinance when it is published in the County Council agenda.

Will the increase protect me against flooding?
The stormwater program includes projects to address water quality (pollution) and water quantity (flooding). However, the program is not intended to replace the need for flood insurance, nor can we guarantee that the Stormwater Utility program can solve every flooding problem. Also, some storm events exceed the capacity of constructed stormwater facilities.

There is no flooding or stormwater problem in my area.
The stormwater fees are used to address capital improvement projects to reduce flooding, improve water quality, and provide maintenance of our stormwater systems throughout the unincorporated area. These activities may or may not be close to your property, but they provide an overall community benefit by improving the operation and function of our stormwater systems within the unincorporated County.

My property is tax exempt. I shouldn’t have to pay this tax.
The stormwater fee is not a tax. The principle of the fee is based on the generation of stormwater runoff. Developed properties (tax exempt or otherwise), generate stormwater runoff, therefore they qualify for the fee.

What is an ERU?
ERU means Equivalent Residential Unit. It refers to the unit of measurement used for calculating the stormwater fee. One ERU is a single dwelling unit (home, condo, apartment, mobile home). The square footage of an ERU is 2,775. For commercial properties, the fee is based on how many ERU’s they have. For example, if a non-residential property has 27,750 sq ft of impervious surface, they pay 27,750 / 2,775 = 10 ERU’s.

How much more are you charging than the cities?
The current Volusia County Stormwater Utility rate is at the original 1993 rate. All of our neighboring cities have established higher rates. The proposed rate for the unincorporated County Stormwater Utility will bring it up to the average rate of $6.00 per month for each single dwelling unit (ERU).

Still haven't found an answer to your question? Please call Volusia County Water Resources at (386) 943-7027.

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