Municipal Storm Water Credit Applications

Many municipalities throughout the United States are now billing stormwater utility fees to residents and business owners in order to provide financial support for the city's major stormwater activities such as:

Fees are usually based on the amount of impervious area (hard surfaces, buildings, and parking lots) on each property.

Many of these municipalities have also implemented Stormwater Credit Programs to provide credits to property owners for performing certain activities that improve water quality and provide other stormwater cost savings to the city. Non-residential property owners typically have very large impervious areas (hard surfaces, buildings, parking lots, etc.). As a result, there is a much greater opportunity and financial incentive for non-residential property owners to use stormwater management practices (such as detention basins, retention ponds, swales, etc.) that positively impact the stormwater system. Providing documentation that defines and proves such practices can translate into credits and future cost savings for the property owner who participates in these credit programs. The credit is determined through an application procedure that often requires engineering calculations, topographic maps, and inspection reports from certified engineers.

CESO is very experienced in this arena and has successfully obtained many generous stormwater credits for our clients.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average savings that CESO is able to obtain per site?

The savings per site depends on the design of your stormwater system and /or detention basin and the maximum credit available from the utility. Each utility has developed its own credit program and the amounts can vary from 0-100%. The following table lists examples of credits CESO has successfully obtained for its clients:

Client Location Original Annual SW Fee Adjusted Annual SW Fee Amount of Annual Savings % of Credit
Memphis, TN $8,199.30 $5,854.30 $2,345.00 28.60%
Lancaster, OH $14,366.66 $10,056.66 $4,310.00 30.00%
Wilmington, OH $19,500.00 $11,700.00 $7,800.00 40.00%
Charlotte, NC $34,647.58 $17,150.55 $17,497.03 50.50%
Celina, OH - ERU miscalculation $17,514.00 $5,695.20 $11,818.80 67.40%

How many of my stores, developments, or business locations will qualify?

This will largely depend on where your business operations are located. Upon signing an agreement with us and providing a list of your business locations, within 2-3 weeks we can let you know which of your locations may be eligible for potential credits. CESO will look out for your best interest by prioritizing your locations so you receive the most return in the least amount of time.

How can I afford to do this?

More importantly, the question here is how can you afford not to? Credit adjustments are usually effective on the day a stormwater credit application is received by the municipality. For every day that you delay, more of your money is being thrown away on stormwater fees. Our fee structure is designed to incentivize CESO to keep your cost low and to maximize your credit return. We will work hand in hand with you to structure a plan that stays within your budget.

What information/services will I need to provide?

The most efficient way to tackle a project of this magnitude is to provide CESO with a single point of contact for your company. We will update him/her with a list of your locations that require information on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Typically, we will need a site and grading plan and any drainage calculations you may have. Some of the municipalities will request a maintenance schedule for the basins. You can obtain this information from your sub-contractor who maintains the basins or we can provide a standard plan for you. CESO will be with you every step of the way to help guide you through the system that will provide you with potentially large savings.

Why use CESO instead of my in-house staff?

We are very experienced in this arena and have successfully obtained many generous stormwater credits for our clients. This project requires a large number of trained personnel to complete the work in a timely manner. Each municipality is unique and requires a slightly different packet of information. We have the experience and knowledge to submit the information to maximize your refund.

Secondly, we will make suggestions for changes you can make to get a higher credit and save even more money. Take for instance one recent situation where we suggested a customer add a $200 orifice plate on a discharge pipe. Due to this change, the customer was able to save an additional $3,000 per year.

How long will it take for your company to complete the application?

Typically after analyzing and prioritizing your locations by amount of potential credit, we then request any site or grading plans you may have, starting with the location that offers the highest potential credit opportunity. Once we receive this information, the application can usually be completed and submitted to the municipality within 2 weeks.

When can you start?

As soon as we have a signed contract in hand and a list of your locations - we will get to work. The more quickly we can get started, the sooner you can begin to enjoy your savings!