The City Council adopted an ordinance that allows fees to be collected from property owners to fund the stormwater program. The program took effect January 1, 2007. Fees will be used for programs including: stormwater drainage capital improvement projects, maintenance of the storm drainage collector system, reduction in flooding occurrences, reduction of pollutants carried by stormwater to our waterways, and fulfilling the City’s Federal and State stormwater discharge permit requirements. In order to be most equitable, a flat fee will be imposed on residential units while commercial businesses will be assessed fees based on impervious surface areas (driveways, parking lots, rooftops, etc.) of each developed property.
The storm water fees for 2007 will be charged on two separate classes of utility accounts: single-family detached residential and all others. The single-family detached residential monthly base rate will be $2.00. The all others classes will be charged a fee that is determined by dividing the calculated total square footage of impervious area on the property by the runoff area unit (RAU) of 3,500 square feet, then multiplying the result by the $2.00 base rate.
The City of Louisville cares about protecting our environment and waterways and is also committed to preserving, enhancing and improving the water quality in Coal Creek. In 2002, the City signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Watershed Approach to Stream Health (WASH) Project which was formed to combine resources and implement programs to help improve the stormwater quality entering our streams and lakes as a result of runoff from residential, commercial and industrial areas. The city also used this team approach to address and comply with the requirements as mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Phase II Stormwater regulations.
The City is required to meet the following six minimum control measures that must be administered to maintain compliance with the City’s stormwater discharge permit.
- Public education and outreach on stormwater impacts. The City must implement a public education program to distribute educational materials to the community or conduct equivalent outreach activities about the impacts of stormwater discharges on water bodies and the steps that the public can take to reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff; and inform businesses and the general public of impacts associated with illegal discharges and improper disposal of waste.
- Public involvement/participation. The city, must at a minimum, comply with State and local public notice requirements when implementing the stormwater management programs required under this permit. Notice of all public hearings should be published in a community publication or newspaper of general circulation, to provide opportunities for public involvement that reach a majority of citizens through the notification process.
- Illicit Discharge and Elimination. The city must develop, implement and enforce a program to detect and eliminate illicit discharges. Develop a storm sewer system map, showing the location of all municipal storm sewer outfalls and the names and location of all state waters that receive discharges from those outfalls.
- Construction site stormwater runoff control. The city must develop, implement, and enforce a program to reduce pollutants in any stormwater runoff entering the city’s storm sewer system from construction activities that result in a land disturbance of greater than or equal to one acre. The program must be developed and implemented to assure adequate design, implementation, and maintenance of BMPs at construction sites within the city to reduce pollutant discharges and protect water quality.
- Post-construction stormwater management in new development and redevelopment. The city must develop, implement, and enforce a program to address stormwater runoff from new development and redevelopment projects that disturb greater than or equal to one acre, including projects less than one acre that are part of a larger common plan of development or sale, that discharge into the stormwater sewer system.
- Pollution prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations. The city must develop and implement an operation and maintenance program that includes an employee training component and has the ultimate goal of preventing or reducing pollutant runoff from municipal operations.
In order for the CDPHE to evaluate if the City is in compliance with the stormwater regulations each control measure must have measurable goals that must be achieved by the end of each calendar year.
The City of Louisville cares about our waterways and as a resident we are sure that you care, too. Stormwater drains untreated into our watersheds that are inhabited by many animals and aquatic plants. Without proper management these water resources could degrade and lower the quality of life in our community, along with serious risks of losing some of our natural resources.
The diversity of problems and priorities means that there is no single solution for the city. However, we feel a stormwater utility fee offers a flexible approach to funding that will be designed to meet the needs of the citizens of Louisville and help protect out valuable natural resources.
What a Resident Can Do To Protect Water Quality?
As a resident you can help by:
- Cleaning up after your pet.
- Washing your vehicle at a commercial car wash that treats or recycles its wastewater, or wash your car on your yard so the water soaks into the ground.
- Repairing automotive leaks and disposing of used auto fluids.
- Using pesticides and fertilizers sparingly, or not at all.
- Monitor your lawn watering requirements and don’t over water.
- Sending nothing to the storm drain but rain!
- Remember To Keep It Clean ‘cause we’re all Downstream
Please contact Stormwater Program Manager Ken Mason at 303.335.4780 or visit the Keep It Clean web site for more information on stormwater protection.