The Mayor presented in his budget the creation of a stormwater management utility. The City is facing EPA fines for violations and serious safety issues without these additions and it has been delayed as long as possible. The utility will charge every property in the City a fee based on the size of the impervious surfaces - large roofs or large paved areas will pay more. Currently all projects are paid for by the general fund which is collected only from private property owners.
Stormwater is the rain and melting snow that does not soak into the ground but runs off hard surfaces into the storm sewer system and ultimately into the James River. Urban growth, with parking lots and buildings, results in flooding and pollutants entering the river.
The City has sewer system in the central part of Richmond to carry stormwater and wastewater to the wastewater treatment plant, but the rest of the city is served by a system that carries stormwater, untreated, directly into the local streams and the James River. Trash and pollutants, including lawn chemicals and fertilizers, oil and grease from automobiles, and animal waste, is in this runoff. This is in violation of Federal EPA law.
You can help by keeping litter, debris, leaves, pet waste, and trash out of the street, gutters and ditches. The utility will be dedicated to curing drainage problems, preventive maintenance and repairing and cleaning the storm drains.
