SUGAR LAND, Texas – Sugar Land residents’ water bill will increase by $3, starting in 2023, after the city’s approved budget includes a Stormwater Compliance Fee.
The fee’s purpose is to pay for stormwater related activities, which are apartment of the state and federal environmental protection requirements, according to the release. The mandates require municipalities to enforce steps to reduce stormwater pollution.
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For the city to remain in those practices, the fee will fund pollution prevention measurements, such as community education, drainage system operations and maintenance to control the quality of water discharged to the city’s storm drains and waterways.
“Stormwater is the collection of water that is the result of a rain event,” Environmental Manager Georgia Tate told Sugar Scoop. “And our drainage system carries the stormwater off the roads and out of neighborhoods into ditches and pipes, so maintaining the infrastructure of that system is incredibly important.”
Here’s what you need to know:
- The average resident will pay about $3 per month or about $36 per year.
- More than 100 Texas cities use such a fee to fund citizen priorities. Thirty-two of the 40 cities with populations greater than 100,000 have storm water fees.
- The fee will be implemented during fiscal year 2023 after extensive community education and outreach as well as discussion with City Council.
- City drainage charges are assessed on utility bills and pay for solutions to flooding, erosion and water pollution.