A stormwater user fee model for operations and maintenance in small cities

Area of Science:

• Environmental Engineering
• Urban Planning
• Public Finance

Background:

• Stormwater management is crucial for urban areas, yet small municipalities often lack adequate funding mechanisms.
• The Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) system is widely used in the United States for stormwater fee calculation.
• Existing ERU systems can be complex, posing challenges for implementation in smaller communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a simplified stormwater fee system tailored for small municipalities.
• To adapt the ERU methodology for practical application in resource-limited urban settings.
• To provide a scalable funding model for essential stormwater infrastructure and services.

Main Methods:

• A simplified Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) system was developed, focusing on impervious area.
• The fee structure incorporates operations and maintenance costs with a single billing class.
• The method was applied and validated in Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, a small city in Brazil.

Main Results:

• The Simplified ERU value was determined to be 294.32 m², comparable to US averages.
• The fee was set at $0.28 per square meter, aligning with international benchmarks.
• The method demonstrated feasibility and rapidity for funding stormwater services.

Conclusions:

• The Simplified ERU system is a practical and efficient tool for small municipalities to fund stormwater management.
• This model can generate necessary revenue to address infrastructure deficits and mitigate flooding.
• Further academic discussion is encouraged to refine and promote stormwater fee design methodologies.