Harrisonburg Stormwater Utility Fee for Homeowners

Rain Barrel by grifray / CC BY-SA 2.0

Starting this year, Harrisonburg residents will see a new fee included with their real estate tax bill: the Stormwater Utility Fee. The total fee varies based on your property’s total impervious area—the area taken up by rooftops, driveways, and other solid surfaces—but, as an example, a property with 1,900 square feet of impervious area will cost you about $42 a year.

Although the fee may not break your bank, there are a few simple steps the City suggests (Stormwater Utility Fee Credit Manual for Residential, Draft 12-2-14) that could help reduce your Stormwater Utility Fee by up to 50%:

• Disconnect your roof downspout and redirect the rainwater to a pervious area, like your lawn or rain garden.
  
• Don’t have a rain garden? You could install one.
  
• Create a vegetated filter strip—a path of meadow grasses, trees, or other vegetation.
  
• Install rain barrels/cisterns to catch and temporarily store your rainwater.
  

Also, if you're so inclined, you could reduce your total impervious area—but these measures can be costly:

• Replace hard surfaces (like asphalt or concrete) with permeable hardscapes (like paving blocks or grid pavers). 
  
• Install a vegetated “green” roof.
  

If you’ve already implemented any of these stormwater management best practices, or you plan to, you’ll need to let the City know by April 1, 2015 in order to get credit for this year.

There are standards to follow and specific steps to take in order to qualify for the credit—but you’ll find everything you need to know on the City of Harrisonburg’s Stormwater Utility Information site: http://www.harrisonburgva.gov/stormwater-utility

Concerned about how the Harrisonburg Stormwater Utility Fee will impact your non-residential / business property? Contact us and we’ll help you through.

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