Stormwater Management

What is Stormwater Management?

Stormwater management is the effort to reduce rainwater runoff from streets, lawns, and other sites, as well as the improvement of water quality, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). When stormwater is absorbed into the soil, it is filtered and ultimately replenishes aquifers or flows into streams and rivers. However, when heavy rainwater hits, ground saturated by water creates excess moisture that runs across the surface and into storm sewers and road ditches. This water often carries debris, chemicals, bacteria, eroded soil, and other pollutants, and carries them into streams, rivers, lakes, or wetlands. In urban and developed areas, impervious surfaces such as pavement and roofs prevent precipitation from naturally soaking into the ground. Instead, water runs rapidly into storm drains, sewer systems and drainage ditches and can cause flooding, erosion, turbidity (or muddiness), storm and sanitary sewer system overflow, and infrastructure damage. However, stormwater design and “green infrastructure” capture and reuse stormwater to maintain or restore natural hydrologies. Detaining stormwater and removing pollutants is the primary purpose of stormwater management. Pervious Surfaces that are porous and allow rainfall and snowmelt to soak into the soil, Gray infrastructure, such as culverts, gutters, storm sewers, conventional piped drainage, and Blue/Green infrastructure that protect, restore, or mimic the natural water cycle, all play a part in stormwater management.

What does the Stormwater Management Plan do?

The Town’s Stormwater Management Program is responsible for all stormwater related activities such as construction and post construction inspections, storm sewer mapping, illicit discharge detection and elimination, water quality monitoring, sampling, and tracking, and other tasks set forth by the SWMP.  In addition to reducing and monitoring stormwater, the Stormwater Management Plan works to reduce flooding by ensuring that stormwater that does enter the municipal stormwater system (roadside ditches, storm sewers, culverts, etc.) flows smoothly.

What is the Town Stormwater Utility Fee?

The Moncks Corner Town Council adopted the Town Stormwater Utility in 2019.  This utility raises funds to allow the Town to carry out the Stormwater Management Program, and is funded by the Stormwater Utility Fee.  The fee is assessed based on the funding required to implement the SWMP.  Each year as part of the annual budget process, costs and revenues will be reviewed and adjusted to ensure a balance in SWMP funding.  The fee schedule is based on the amount of impervious area a developed non-residential parcel contains.

What is impervious surface?

An area modified to the extent that natural infiltration into the natural soil has become impeded. Impervious surfaces are accounted for in private walkways, parking lots, driveways, rooftops, patios, sheds, etc. Below are examples of impervious surface.

Who will be charged this fee?

All developed properties in the Town of Moncks Corner, including properties containing single and multifamily residences, mobile homes, nonresidential (commercial or industrial) land uses, tax exempt and non-profit properties are charged with a Stormwater Utility Fee. The fee will not be imposed on agricultural lands, forestlands, or undeveloped lands. The established average impervious surface area associated with single-family residential (SFR) properties will be assessed at 1 ERU and applied uniformly to all mobile home units and SFR units.  An ERU is an “Equivalent Residential Unit,” or the average impervious coverage of all single-family residential properties within the Town limits. This has been calculated to be 2,214 square feet. Non-residential properties will be assessed in multiples of ERUs based on actual impervious areas (subject to a 1 ERU minimum). This category of properties includes the following properties classified as:

1. Commercial Property
2. Industrial Property
3. Institutional Property
4. HOA Community Center Property
5. Multi-Family to include Duplexes and townhomes not subdivided by parcel lines
6. Tax-exempt and Non-profit
7. Boat Slips (Dry Stack Marinas)
8. Properties whose primary function is not a single-family residence

Common areas associated with mobile home parks, multi-family and single-family residential development will be assessed like non-residential properties and charged to the HOA or property management.

DO CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE TO PAY THE FEE?

Yes, churches, schools, and non-profit organizations will pay a Stormwater Utility Fee.

HOW MUCH IS THE STORMWATER UTILITY FEE AND HOW IS IT CALCULATED FOR ME?

• All single family houses and mobile homes: $36.00
• All non residential properties, as defined above: $36.00 per ERU

Example:  A non-residential property has been determined to have 10,000 sq. ft. of impervious coverage, i.e. the square footage of the building, parking lot, and any accessory structures such as sheds and dumpster pads total 10,000 sq. ft.  

10,000 sf² / 2,214 sf² per ERU = 4.5 ERU’s 

4.5 ERU’s x $36.00 per ERU = $162.00

The stormwater utility fee for this property is $162.00

Do other communities have a Stormwater Utility Fee?

Yes, most communities in the coastal area have instituted a Stormwater Utility Fee including Berkeley County, City of Goose Creek, City of Hanahan, Charleston County, Dorchester County, City of Folly Beach, City of Isle of Palms, Town of James Island, Town of Lincolnville, Town of Sullivan’s Island, Town of Mount Pleasant, City of Charleston, City of North Charleston, Town of Summerville, Beaufort County, Town of Hilton Head, Georgetown County, Horry County, City of Conway, City of Myrtle Beach, and City of North Myrtle Beach.

Can the fee be appealed?

Yes, the Stormwater Utility Fee can be appealed within thirty days of the mailing of the Tax Notice. The appeal procedure is explained in Division 8 of the Stormwater Ordinance and within the Town of Moncks Corner Stormwater Utility Fee Credit & Appeals Manual. Click here for more information.