Stormwater Utility
The City of Wilmington Stormwater Utility was established by City Council in September 2020. Previously, stormwater infrastructure management had been funded by wastewater fees. This resulted in stormwater issues going unaddressed, in favor of wastewater projects. With the establishment of the Stormwater Utility, the City has funds available to allocate to stormwater improvement projects.
Stormwater fees are used to investigate and implement changes, improvements, and repairs needed to maintain the separation between stormwater and sanitary sewer systems. In addition to addressing flooding issues and eliminating cross-connections between the two piping systems, cities are mandated by both U.S. and Ohio EPA to establish and implement a Stormwater Management Plan.
Stormwater Utility Fee Calculation
The stormwater utility fee is calculated based on the amount of impervious surface on each property. Impervious surfaces include rooftops, driveways, sidewalks and patios, which do not allow for the absorption of stormwater into the ground. Charges appear on the same bill as water, wastewater, trash and recycling services. Each parcel within the City was individually examined to determine its impervious surface area. The stormwater fee was set by City Council at $0.0271 per square foot of impervious surface per year, billed monthly.
Estimated Fees By Property Type
| Square Feet | Annual | Monthly | |
| Residential | |||
| Small | 1,400 | $37.94 | $3.16 |
| Medium | 2,800 | $75.88 | $6.32 |
| Large | 4,000 | $108.40 | $9.03 |
| Business | |||
| Small | 30,000 | $813.00 | $67.75 |
| Medium | 200,000 | $5,420.00 | $451.67 |
| Large (Big-Box) | 600,000 | $16,260.00 | $1,355.00 |
| Churches | 25,000 | $677.50 | $56.46 |
| Schools | 130,000 | $3,523.00 | $293.58 |