Welcome to the City of Reno’s stormwater utility webpage. The City of Reno is progressing with our Stormwater Utility implementation project. The proposed Stormwater Utility would collect fees to provide a dedicated funding source committed exclusively to maintaining and improving stormwater and flood reduction infrastructure. The main reasons so many cities across the country implement stormwater utilities are to:
- prevent flooding
- protect water quality
- maintain, replace or repair aging infrastructure
- avoid costly emergency responses
Many structures that protect our city from these stormwater threats are non-existent, aging, or damaged, and we need a long-term solution. The solution is a more dependable source of funding to improve our system of storm drains, culverts, flood control and water-quality structures that would improve the overall health and safety of Reno residents. This funding source will enable a proactive approach that will save money in the long run, compared to reactive emergency responses.
We are proposing a stormwater utility fee that, if approved, would provide dedicated funding for repairs and improvements to our stormwater system that have been identified over the last 30 years, but have not been implemented due to lack of funding sources. View our Capital Projects List.
If the City continues with its current funding plan, this problem will only get worse given continual aging of infrastructure along with the increased intensity and frequency of storms our region is experiencing. In fact, Reno has a long history of flooding.
Proposed Stormwater Utility
Since July 2018, the city has worked with its consultant to evaluate an alternative rate structure and program elements for the establishment of a Stormwater Utility.
Residents who live in and businesses who own property in Reno would contribute to the utility. The amount would depend on whether you are a resident or business and on the amount of impervious surfaces on your property and its impact on the stormwater system. In other words, the more hard surfaces on a parcel that does not absorb water, the more stormwater run-off a property contributes.
In December 2023, the City of Reno provided the public and Council a proposed amendment to the Reno Municipal Code, Title 12, Chapter 12.17, a Stormwater Utility fee to get feedback.
The general components of the proposed program are as follows:
- A stormwater utility monthly fee based on the property's Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) of impervious surface.
- The rate would be tied to the Western Region Urban Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) to maintain a consistent funding source that will not degrade or require repeated council ordinance changes to keep up with inflation.
- A crediting program will allow for an education credit and a community Stormwater Management Credit for regional stormwater benefits. Airport runways, taxiways, and aprons associated with the National Transportation System would be excluded from fees. The program would also include a Low-Income Assistance program.
- The resulting rate would allow the City to meet its stormwater program goals, fund stormwater M&O, and provide the funding necessary to complete the needed capital improvements.
The Raftelis Feasibility Study, proposed ordinance, Raftelis Rate Structure and Financial Plan Implementation Update used to establish the Stormwater Utility proposed 2023 structure and fee are available for viewing at:
- Raftelis Feasibility Study and Appendices
- Revised December 2023 Proposed Ordinance
- Raftelis Rate Structure and Financial Plan Implementation Update
Parcel Viewer
The Reno Stormwater Parcel Viewer is a tool to help residents and businesses determine how many stormwater billing units are associated with the impervious surface area, or hard surfaces on their property.
Single-family residential customers will be charged a standard rate fee, regardless of the size of the parcel and property. See link below for details.
Businesses, apartments, and properties other than single-family residences will be able to see the measured amount of impervious area on their properties, and from this determine how many Equivalent Residential Units* the property consists of.
*One Equivalent Residential Unit = 3500 sqft of impervious surface.
Stormwater is rain or melted snow that does not soak into the ground. There are at least two aspects of managing stormwater; these are water quality and flooding.
What is Stormwater?
How does Stormwater impact a City?
Many local governments are faced with growing stormwater infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation needs. A stormwater utility is a funding strategy similar to a sewer utility. Essentially, customers pay a fee to convey stormwater away from their property.
Stormwater Utilities are common throughout the United States, and exist in several municipalities in Nevada. Carson City, City of Sparks, Washoe County, and Southern Nevada municipalities are some examples of existing stormwater utilities. The City of Reno is evaluating the potential implementation of a stormwater utility to collect a new fee from properties to provide for engineering, construction and maintenance of flood improvements and drainage infrastructure.
A dedicated stormwater fee ensures the City has a sufficient and stable revenue source to effectively implement and manage its stormwater and flood control program needs.
Reno residents currently support the City’s stormwater operations by paying their sewer bill. In most years, only a small portion of the City’s sewer fund is carved out to maintain stormwater conveyance or water quality systems. At the current rate of funding, many storm drain improvement projects will never be accomplished.
The fee will be derived from methods commonly used in stormwater utilities that spread costs among property owners in a way that reflects each properties contribution to the stormwater system. This fee structure will more closely reflect each property’s demand on the City’s stormwater program, and will better ensure the city has a sufficient and stable revenue to effectively implement its stormwater and flood control programs.
- For residential properties: the fee will most likely be a tiered flat rate dependent on the area of hard (impervious) surfaces.
- For businesses: the fee will be based on the amount of impervious surface the property has, and will be according to the number of equivalent residential units the property occupies.
- For more information on your property, check out the parcel viewer.
These fee structures have not been adopted yet, and are dependent on public outreach to property owners, and Council approval. The public process may influence the final fees and fee structure. If implemented, the fee will be a new line item called Stormwater Utility Fee on the sewer bill.
When will the new fee be implemented?
This will be determined through the Reno City Council and public engagement stakeholder process. If adopted by Council, the new Stormwater Utility fee is currently planned to be included in your Sewer bill.
The City is currently analyzing feedback from the public and businesses. Future Council dates will be updated as they become known.
The Truckee River Flood Management Authority’s Truckee River Flood Project is dedicated to reducing flooding along three segments of the Truckee River: downtown Reno, the Truckee Meadows and Lower Truckee. This benefits downtown and much of southeast Reno, including the Reno-Tahoe International Airport and industrial development south of the Truckee River in Sparks. The new stormwater utility fee is a broader measure intended to fund infrastructure and water quality projects throughout the City of Reno.
- December 13, 2023: Council voted to establish a Stormwater Enterprise Fund, approved the Business Impact Statement, and directed staff to explore options regarding a monthly fee for property owners to fund stormwater related capital improvement projects.
- December 14, 2022: Presentation, discussion, and potential direction to staff regarding the Stormwater Utility proposed rates and program elements.
- January 27, 2021: Council presentation, discussion, and approval of the proposed Public Outreach and Communications Plan for Implementation of the City of Reno Stormwater Utility.
- August 26, 2020: Council approved an Agreement with Raftelis Financial Consultants in the amount of $865,406 for implementation of a City of Reno Stormwater Utility.
- July 30, 2020: Council directed staff bring an Agreement for implementation of a City of Reno Stormwater Utility for Council’s consideration at a future meeting.
- March 13, 2019: Keith Readling, Vice President of Raftelis, presented findings from the Stormwater Utility Implementation phase, including possible methods and rates.
- July 25, 2018: Council approved an Agreement with Raftelis for $125,760 to conduct a feasibility study for formation of a stormwater utility for the City of Reno.