STORMWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM CHARGES

Columbus City Codes tit. 11, ch. 1149

in effect

Columbus City Codes § 1149.01 Purpose and objective.

1149.01 - Purpose and objective. Chapter 1149 establishes stormwater rates and service charges. Monies collected from these charges are to be utilized solely for the management of stormwater. Stormwater management is intended to provide for the safe and efficient capture and conveyance of stormwater runoff, mitigate the damaging effects of stormwater runoff, correction of stormwater problems; to fund activities of stormwater management, and include design, planning, regulation, education, coordination, construction, operations, maintenance, inspection and enforcement activities, all for the protection of the public health, welfare, and safety. (Ord. 1381-94.)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.02 Definitions.

1149.02 - Definitions. Whenever used in this Chapter 1149, the meaning of the following words and terms shall be defined in this section: 1149.02.001 "Abatement " means any action taken to remedy, correct, or eliminate a condition within, associated with, or impacting a drainage system. 1149.02.002 "Approved plans " shall mean plans approved according to a permits and plan review which will govern all improvements made within the city that require stormwater facilities or changes or alterations to existing stormwater facilities. 1149.02.003 "Director" means the Director of Columbus Water & Power, City of Columbus, Ohio. 1149.02.004 "Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) " is a value, equal to two thousand (2,000) square feet of impervious area of residential properties within the City of Columbus. 1149.02.005 "Facilities" mean various stormwater and drainage works that may include inlets, pipes, pumping stations, conduits, maintenance holes, energy dissipation structures, channels, outlets, retention/detention basins, and other structural components. 1149.02.006 "Impervious area" means areas that have been paved and/or covered with buildings and materials which include, but are not limited to, concrete, asphalt, rooftop, and blacktop. 1149.02.007 "NPDES" means National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. 1149.02.008 "NPDES Permit" means a permit issued to the city pursuant to Section 402 of the Clean Water Act [Codified as 33 USC Sect. 1342]. 1149.02.009 "Residential property" means all single family properties and duplexes within the city. 1149.02.010 "Square footage of impervious area" means, for the purpose of assigning an appropriate number of ERUs to a parcel of real property, the square footage of all impervious area using the outside boundary dimensions of the impervious area to include the total enclosed square footage, without regard for topographic features of the enclosed surface. 1149.02.011 "Storm sewer" means a sewer which carries stormwater, surface runoff, street wash waters, and drainage, but which excludes sanitary sewage and industrial wastes, other than unpolluted cooling water. 1149.02.012 "Stormwater system" means all manufactured facilities, structures, and natural watercourses owned by the city, or over which the city has jurisdiction by law to operate or maintain, used for collecting and conducting stormwater to, through and from drainage areas to the points of final outlet including, but not limited to, any and all of the following: conduits and appurtenant features, canals, creeks, catch basins, ditches, streams, gulches, gullies, flumes, culverts, siphons, streets, curbs, gutters, dams, floodwalls, levees, retention or detention facilities, rivers, public stormwater open channels and pumping stations. 1149.02.013 "Stormwater" means stormwater runoff, snow melt runoff, and surface runoff and drainage. 1149.02.014 "Public stormwater open channel" means all open channels which convey, in part or in whole, stormwater, and (1) are owned, operated or maintained by a city division other than the division of water reclamation; or (2) a stormwater open channel which has a permanent drainage/stormwater easement owned by the city and drains an area which includes city-owned property or right-of-way. A public stormwater open channel does not include roadside ditches which convey only immediate right-of-way drainage. 1149.02.015 "Retention facility" means a facility which provides storage of stormwater runoff and is designed to eliminate subsequent surface discharges. 1149.02.016 "Detention facility" means a facility, by means of a single control point, provides temporary storage of stormwater runoff in ponds, parking lots, depressed areas, rooftops, buffed underground vaults or tanks, etc., for future release, and is used to delay and attenuate flow. 1149.02.017 "Credit" means an on-going reduction in a customer's stormwater service fee given for certain qualifying activities which reduce either the impact of increased stormwater runoff or reduces the city's costs of providing stormwater management. (Ord. 1381-94.) (Ord. 2500-94; Ord. 1132-2008 Attach. (part); Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021; Ord. No. 1682-2025, §§ 3, 4, 6-30-2025; Ord. No. 1882-2026, § 1, 6-29-2026)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.03 Necessity for charges.

1149.03 - Necessity for charges. It is hereby determined necessary for the protection of public health, safety, and welfare and to conform with federal, state, and local laws and regulations that a system of charges for stormwater service be established which allocates the cost of providing stormwater service to each user in such a manner that the allocated costs are proportionate to the cost of providing stormwater service to that user, insofar as those costs can reasonably be determined. (Ord. 1381-94.)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.04 Powers of director of Columbus Water & Power.

1149.04 - Powers of director of Columbus Water & Power. Stormwater service charges levied pursuant to this chapter may be collected by Columbus Water & Power. Notwithstanding other provisions of the Columbus City Codes, the director of Columbus Water & Power shall make and enforce such rules and regulations as may be deemed necessary for the safe, economical, and efficient management and protection of the city's stormwater system; for the construction and use of storm sewers and connections to the stormwater system consistent with policies established by the council; and for the regulation, collection, rebating and refunding of such stormwater charges. (Ord. 1381-94; Ord. No. 1882-2026, § 1, 6-29-2026.)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.05 Stormwater service charge.

1149.05 - Stormwater service charge. A stormwater service charge shall be imposed on each and every lot and parcel of land within the city, and the owner thereof. This charge is deemed reasonable and is necessary to pay for the repair, replacement, planning, improvement, operation, regulation, and maintenance of the existing and future city stormwater system. (Ord. 1381-94.)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.06 Stormwater rate establishment procedures.

1149.06 - Stormwater rate establishment procedures. Stormwater rates shall be designed to recover the cost of rendering stormwater service for the time period under consideration. Rates shall be established so as to maintain adequate fund reserves to provide for reasonably expected variations in the cost of providing services, as well as variations in the demand for services. The director of Columbus Water & Power shall prepare an annual stormwater rate report with a recommended rate schedule. This report shall contain data utilized in the determination of said stormwater rates. The report will be presented to the sewer and water advisory board on or before the second Monday of September of each year. The sewer and water advisory board shall make a recommendation to city council on or before the last Monday of October of each year, concerning appropriate stormwater rates to become effective January 1 of each year. The director of Columbus Water & Power shall annually notify in conjunction with the regular billing process, all persons subject to these charges, of the stormwater rate being charged. (Ord. 1381-94; Ord. No. 1882-2026, § 1, 6-29-2026.)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.07 Billings and terms of payment.

1149.07 - Billings and terms of payment. (a) Billings. A stormwater bill may be rendered on either a monthly or quarterly basis. (b) Terms of Payment. The stormwater charges prescribed in Section 1149.06 of the Columbus City Codes, 1959, are net. If bills are not paid within twenty-eight (28) days from the date of billing, a gross rate, which is the net rate plus ten (10) percent, shall apply. (Ord. 1381-94; Ord. 3252-98 § 1 (part); Ord. 1132-2008 Attach. (part); Ord. No. 3084-2025, § 1, 11-24-2025.)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.08 Rate structure.

1149.08 - Rate structure. Charges within corporate limits. For the purpose stated in Sections 1149.03 and 1149.10 there is hereby charged to each user situated within the corporate limits of the City of Columbus, that is tributary directly or indirectly to the stormwater system of the city, stormwater charges as hereinbefore provided, and in the amount determinable as follows: For any such property, lot, parcel of land, building or premises that is tributary directly or indirectly to the stormwater system of the city, such charge shall be based upon the quantity of impervious area situated thereon. (a) All properties having impervious area within the city will be assigned an equivalent residential unit (ERU), or a multiple thereof, with all properties having impervious area receiving at least one (1) ERU. (1) Residential properties. All residential properties will be assigned one (1) ERU. A flat rate will apply to all residential properties. (2) Non-residential properties. Non-residential properties will be assigned an ERU multiple based upon the properties' individually measured impervious area (in square feet) divided by two thousand (2,000) square feet (one (1) ERU). This division will be calculated to the first decimal place and rounded according to mathematical convention. (b) The charge as prescribed in the rate schedule is as follows: .1754 per day per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU). (Ord. 1381-94; Ord. 2639-99 § 1; Ord. 2455-00 § 1; Ord. 1769-01 § 1; Ord. 1716 § 1; Ord. 2358-03 § 1: Ord. 1898-04 § 1; Ord. 1868-05 § 1; Ord. 1739-2006 § 1; Ord. 1740-2007 § 1; Ord. 1707-2008 § 1; Ord. No. 1438-2009, § 1, 11-23-2009, eff. 1-1-2010; Ord. No. 1883-2011, § 1, 11-21-2011, eff. 1-1-2012; Ord. No. 2500-2013, § 1, 11-18-2013; Ord. No. 2477-2014, § 1, 11-17-2014; Ord. No. 2701-2015, §§ 1—3, 11-23-2015, eff. 1-1-2016; Ord. No. 2642-2016, § 1, 11-21-2016; Ord. No. 2769-2017, § 1, 11-20-2017; Ord. No. 2939-2018, § 1, 11-19-2018, eff. 1-1-2019; Ord. No. 2984-2019, § 1, 11-25-2019, eff. 1-1-2020; Ord. No. 2420-2020, § 1, 1-19-2020, eff. 1-1-2021; Ord. No. 2725-2021, § 1, 11-22-2021, eff. 1-1-2022; Ord. No. 3038-2022, § 1, 11-21-2022; Ord. No. 3141-2023, § 1, 11-20-2023; Ord. No. 2838-2024, § 1, 11-25-2024; Ord. No. 3084-2025, § 2, 11-24-2025)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.09 Right to appeal.

1149.09 - Right to appeal. An owner may challenge the ERU multiple assigned to the owner's property by filing an appeal with the administrator of the division of water reclamation for adjustment thereof, stating in writing the grounds for the appeal. The administrator shall cause appropriate investigation thereof and report the findings to the appellant. The administrator, or the administrator's designee, shall consider the appeal and determine whether an adjustment of the ERU multiple for any such lot or parcel is necessary, and adjust such ERU multiple if appropriate. (Ord. 1381-94; Ord. 2100-96 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 2019-2021, § 1, 7-26-2021; Ord. No. 1682-2025, §§ 3, 4, 6-30-2025)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.10 Distribution of stormwater system revenues and utilization of funds.

1149.10 - Distribution of stormwater system revenues and utilization of funds. (a) There shall be established for the division of water reclamation a stormwater operating fund. (b) The distribution of stormwater operating revenues shall be as follows: (1) Stormwater Operating Revenues. One hundred (100) percent of stormwater maintenance revenues shall be allocated to the stormwater operating fund. (2) Miscellaneous Revenues. One hundred (100) percent of all other revenues shall be allocated to the stormwater operating fund. (c) Utilization of Funds. (1) Stormwater operating fund shall be utilized for the operation, maintenance and improvement costs of the stormwater system, the retirement of stormwater capital improvement program debt, the timely replacement of stormwater system equipment, and all other stormwater management program activities. (Ord. 1381-94; Ord. No. 1682-2025, §§ 3, 4, 6-30-2025)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.11 Lien on premises.

1149.11 - Lien on premises. Each stormwater service charge rendered under or pursuant to this chapter is hereby made a lien upon the corresponding lot, parcel of land, building or premises that are tributary directly or indirectly to the stormwater system of the city, and, if the same is not paid within ninety (90) days after it shall be due and payable, it shall be certified to the auditor of the county in which the property is located, who shall place the same on the tax duplicate of said county with the interest and penalties allowed by law and be collected as other taxes are collected. (Ord. 1381-94.)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.12 Credits.

1149.12 - Credits. The director shall promulgate rules and regulations which allow for a credit in the stormwater service fee for properties other than single family residential properties. These rules and regulations shall allow, where appropriate, application of the credits retroactive to August 1, 1994. The director shall have the authority to charge customers a stormwater credit application fee, which shall be based upon estimated costs of reviewing, processing and administering the credit application and mechanism. (Ord. 2500-94.)

Columbus City Codes § 1149.13 Limits and corrections to billing.

1149.13 - Limits and corrections to billing. (A) If the division of water reclamation has undercharged a customer because of a billing error, the division may bill the customer for the portion of the unbilled stormwater services used in the two (2) year period immediately prior to the date the division remedies the billing error. (B) If the division determines, however, that a customer has been overcharged because of a billing error, the division will adjust the customer's account back, for a period not to exceed six (6) years, from the date the division remedies the billing error. (C) If the division, during the two (2) year period described in Part A, has attempted to verify a discrepancy in billing and the customer has not responded to requests by the division to reconcile the discrepancy, the division will bill the customer for the unbilled stormwater services used in the six (6) year period immediately prior to the date the division remedies the billing error. (D) This section does not apply to circumstances where an act or omission of an act by the property's agent results in no calculation or an inaccurate calculation of stormwater service charges. (Ord. 2100-96 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 1595-2009, § 7, 2-1-2010; Ord. No. 1682-2025, §§ 3, 4, 6-30-2025)

Source: City of Columbus, City Codes and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/oh/columbus/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT11WASEELCO_CH1149STMAPRCHFetched: 10/27/2026