Stormwater Utility Fee

The Rochester City Council adopted a Stormwater Utility Fee on October 6, 2003, that went into effect in January 2004.

Every developed residential and non-residential property parcel is charged a fee based on its size, land use and amount of impervious (or hard surface) area. This is an equitable approach because the charges are proportional to a property’s contribution to stormwater runoff and impact on water quality.

This fee appears as a monthly charge on Rochester Public Utility (RPU) bills. If you have a question about your stormwater utility fee on your utility bill, RPU can assist you.

The baseline Stormwater Utility Fee (fee) does not take into account the value provided by some property owners that independently implement and maintain Best Management Practices (BMPs) that offset, to some extent, the impacts of their developed property on the natural and constructed components of the City’s stormwater management system. Using a Fee Credit process, the City may adjust the baseline fee for any non-residential customer that provides value-added stormwater management services that support and complement the City’s stormwater management goals.

Residents don’t qualify for Fee Credit because the residential fee equates to the base fee every parcel of property must pay to support the community-wide requirements of the stormwater permit and the benefits of stormwater management. Therefore, the Stormwater Utility Ordinance does not allow a reduction below the residential fee amount for any parcel. However, the Stormwater Utility Ordinance does include provisions for the City Council to adopt incentive programs for residential customers who implement best management practices that help the City meet its stormwater management objectives.