Stormwater Fees

Catch Basin, storm drainIn 1991, the City was issued a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality that regulates stormwater runoff. 

The permit outlines the required best management practices (BMPs) and programs that must be implemented to prevent pollution, reduce flooding, and maintain the public stormwater infrastructure. With the issuance of this permit, the City introduced the Storm Water Fee Program.

What Does Your Stormwater Fee Fund?

  • Best Management Practices (BMP) Inspection and Maintenance
  • Capital Improvement Projects
  • Ditch Maintenance
  • Environmental Investigation and Enforcement
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • Pipe Repair and Cleaning
  • Public Education and Outreach
  • Pump Station Maintenance
  • Site Plan Review and Construction Inspection
  • Street Sweeping

Determining Property Fees

Owners of developed land, both residential and non-residential, are applied a monthly stormwater fee based on an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU). Fees cover services costs for the collection, treatment and discharge of stormwater runoff.

Effective Rate as of July 1, 2025
1 ERU = $0.486/day or $14.58/month (30-day month)

Residential 
Developed property containing at least one but no more than four (4) residences or dwelling units, including, but not be limited to, houses, duplexes, triplexes, quadroplexes, townhouses, and mobile homes.
Each residential property is charged 1 ERU.

Nonresidential 
Developed properties not meeting the residential property definition, including, but not limited to, commercial properties, industrial properties, parking lots, recreational and cultural facilities, hotels, offices, churches, condominium associations, and multifamily facilities of five (5) units or more.
The number of nonresidential ERUs is based on impervious surface.

Rates will be calculated by rounding impervious area to the nearest two thousand (2,000) square feet.
Example: Property with 234,581 square feet
234,581 ÷ 2,000 = 117 ERUs

117 x $0.486 per day = $54.87 per day or $1,705.86 per month (30-day month)

Bill Information

Why do customers receive two separate bills?
When stormwater fees are not included on the Combined Utility Bill, they are issued separately through a Storm Water Only account. As a result, the customer receives one bill for utility services—which includes water, sewer, trash, HRSD charges, and taxes—and a separate bill for stormwater fees.

Why am I receiving a stormwater bill when my property is vacant? 
Stormwater fees are assessed based on the presence of impervious surfaces on a property, not occupancy. Impervious surfaces include structures such as houses, garages, sheds, driveways, sidewalks, and other paved or hardscaped areas that prevent water from naturally soaking into the ground. Even if a property is vacant, the impervious area still contributes to stormwater runoff, which impacts the city’s drainage system and water quality. Therefore, stormwater fees still apply.

Which properties are eligible to have Utility and Storm Water fees combined?
Single-family residential properties may be eligible to have stormwater and utility charges combined, provided the account is in good standing. Multi-unit properties served by a single meter are not eligible for combined billing.

Note: Some nonresidential properties currently have combined stormwater and utility charges due to legacy billing practices. However, we are in the process of updating our policies to require stormwater fees for nonresidential properties to be billed separately and directly to the property owner. This change is being implemented to address issues with outstanding balances left by tenants—balances that often go unnoticed by the owner until title transfer, potentially delaying the clearance of fees required for a clear title.

What is the difference between Storm Water (SW) and Utility (UT) charges?
Stormwater (SW) fees are assessed at a daily rate determined annually and are lienable, meaning they are treated similarly to real estate taxes. In contrast, utility (UT) charges are based on water consumption and are billed per cubic foot of water used.

Why can’t you take my payment over the phone or add my account to my HRSD portal? 
HRSD manages the telephone and online payment system for utility accounts. While you can make payments for utility services through HRSD, stormwater accounts are handled separately.

  • To make a payment by phone: Call 1-844-257-6063
  • To register and manage your stormwater account online: Visit  https://myaccount.hrsd.com 

What if I’m paying stormwater fees to clear a title for property transfer?
If you are making a payment specifically to clear stormwater fees for a property title transfer, please contact our office before submitting payment:

These payments must be processed directly to the stormwater service. Failure to contact our office may result in delays or issues with obtaining a clear title.

Fee Reduction Program

The City of Norfolk has a fee reduction program. Property owners who reduce the amount of runoff leaving their property may have their fee reduced by a percentage that will be determined by their stormwater management project owners install on their property.

Stormwater Reduction Fee Manual and Application (PDF)

Questions?

Please Contact Norfolk Cares at 757-664-6510 or via email.