Stormwater Fees

Catch Basin, storm drainIn 1991, the City was issued a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality that regulates stormwater runoff. 

The permit outlines the required best management practices (BMPs) and programs that must be implemented to prevent pollution, reduce flooding, and maintain the public stormwater infrastructure. With the issuance of this permit, the City introduced the Storm Water Fee Program.

What Does Your Stormwater Fee Fund?

  • Best Management Practices (BMP) Inspection and Maintenance
  • Capital Improvement Projects
  • Ditch Maintenance
  • Environmental Investigation and Enforcement
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Pipe Repair and Cleaning
  • Public Education and Outreach
  • Pump Station Maintenance
  • Site Plan Review and Construction Inspection
  • Street Sweeping

Determining Property Fees

Owners of developed land, both residential and non-residential, are applied a monthly stormwater fee based on an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU). Fees cover services costs for the collection, treatment and discharge of stormwater runoff.

Effective Rate as of July 1, 2023 
1 ERU = $0.452/day or $13.57/month (30-day month)

Residential 
Developed property containing at least one but no more than four (4) residences or dwelling units, including, but not be limited to, houses, duplexes, triplexes, quadroplexes, townhouses, and mobile homes.
Each residential property is charged 1 ERU.

Nonresidential 
Developed properties not meeting the residential property definition, including, but not limited to, commercial properties, industrial properties, parking lots, recreational and cultural facilities, hotels, offices, churches, condominium associations, and multifamily facilities of five (5) units or more.
The number of nonresidential ERUs is based on impervious surface.

Rates will be calculated by rounding impervious area to the nearest two thousand (2,000) square feet.
Example: Property with 234,581 square feet
234,581 ÷ 2,000 = 117 ERUs
117 x $0.452 per day = $52.88 per day or $1,587.69 per month (30-day month)

Fee Reduction Program

The City of Norfolk has a fee reduction program. Property owners who reduce the amount of runoff leaving their property may have their fee reduced by a percentage that will be determined by their stormwater management project owners install on their property.

Stormwater Reduction Fee Manual and Application (PDF)

Questions?

Please Contact Norfolk Cares at 757-664-6510 or via email.