General Information
Stormwater fees are applied to properties with impervious surfaces. See Monroe County Code Chapter 766 for details.
Residential properties are assigned a flat fee of 1 Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU), $75.77 annually or $37.885 every six months.
Non-residential (i.e. commercial, industrial) developed properties stormwater fee is determined by the following formula, where 1 ERU = 5,200 square feet:
[Total impervious surface area / 1 ERU] X $75.77 = SW Fee
For both residential and non-residential properties, the stormwater system user fee appears on the property tax bill as Other Assessment (OA).
The stormwater fee was established in 2011 and provides a funding mechanism for maintaining and improving stormwater infrastructure in Monroe County. The fee also provides funding to improve public health and safety through reducing water quality impairments and reduced flooding hazards.
Quick Clean Water Act History
1972 - Focused on wastewater treatment facilities
1987 - Phase I required entities that serve 100,000 people or more to apply for a permit for stormwater runoff.
1994 - Report to Congress stated that stormwater discharges from non-Phase 1 sources remain significant causes to water quality impairment.
1999 - Phase II - entities less than 100,000 people regulated. This included Ellettsville, Ivy Tech, Indiana University, Bloomington and unincorporated Monroe County. There is no federal or state funding for this program and it is our responsibility to meet the federal requirements.
State Legislation
Indiana Code 8-1.5-5 amended in 2004 to allow counties to establish stormwater fees.
Monroe County
The Stormwater Ordinance (Chapter 766, Stormwater Fee and Fund) was approved by the Monroe County Commissioners on July 1, 2011. The Monroe County Council approved the stormwater fee on July 26, 2011. The ordinance was amended April 19, 2013, and most recently on March 3, 2021.