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1. Why do we pay a monthly storm water fee?

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), urbanized areas have the greatest potential to pollute storm water runoff.

USEPA established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Phase II regulations in 2003 requiring municipalities over a 10,000 population to develop storm water quality management plans (Phase I regulations enacted in 1990 apply to communities with populations over 100,000 like Indianapolis.) This regulation was enacted as an unfunded mandate.

Chesterton developed a Storm Water Quality Management Plan (SWQMP) that states our goals and objectives for minimizing pollutants in storm water runoff. In order to cover the costs of implementing the SWQMP Chesterton established storm water fees for residents and commercial / industrial property owners.

2. I don't have storm sewers serving my property, why am I being charged this fee?

Every property contributes to and places a demand on the storm water conveyance system. Every property benefits from the town's Storm Water Quality Program activities, whether or not there is a constructed storm sewer connected directly to their property.

The town's vast storm water conveyance system consists of both natural and constructed features, many of which are not obvious. In addition to the traditional storm sewer system, the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) conveyance system includes roads, ditches, swales, and culverts.

Under the federal MS4 mandate, the town must manage the entire storm water conveyance system, which includes providing water quality protection, conveyance system mapping, water sampling and testing, watershed planning, public education and outreach, and other programs for the benefit of the entire community.

3. I was informed that my bill is based on my property's "impervious surface," what is an "impervious surface?"

It is the area on a property that is covered by buildings, driveways, parking areas, and other hard surfaces (concrete, gravel asphalt, roof-tops) that prevent storm water runoff from being absorbed into the ground. Consequently, storm water runoff picks up pollutants deposited on these impervious surfaces, such as oil, gasoline, pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals and carries them to our waterways.

In addition, as runoff travels over impervious surfaces, it gains speed and erodes soil near or in the waterways, adding another pollutant called sediment.