City of Champaign

The City of Champaign has enacted Ordinances in order to comply with state and federal environmental regulations. The City of Champaign is the permitting authority for all land disturbing activities and requires the land owner to maintain all on-site stormwater control facilities and all open space areas (e.g. parks or “green” areas) required by the approved stormwater control plan. The City of Champaign will only provide construction permits to projects that establish a plan to manage stormwater runoff occurring during the construction process. Stormwater utility fees will be calculated and collected by the City. The City also offers credits and incentives for properties that engage in and maintain stormwater best management practices. The City of Champaign, under the NPDES program, also has the authority to inspect properties for noncompliance and can issue a notice of violation (NOV) for any deficiency or infraction onsite. Property owners are responsible for the maintenance of any permanent or temporary stormwater facilities or practices located on the property. The City of Champaign has the authority to inspect stormwater facilities and practices in order to ascertain that they properly maintained and functioning.

Stormwater Utility Fee

For all other parcels in the City that are not the site of a single family or duplex dwelling, the amount of the stormwater utility fee shall be $5.24 per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) or $5.24 per Three thousand four hundred seventy-eight (3,478) square feet of impervious area on the parcel.

Fractional ERUs equal to or less than 0.5 shall be rounded down to the next whole ERU. Fractional ERUs greater than 0.5 shall be rounded up to the next whole ERU. For example, 10,000 square feet of impervious area represents 2.9 ERUs and would be rounded up to 3.0 ERUs for billing purposes.

Fees to qualifying parcels may be adjusted if stormwater utility fee credits are approved by the City for on-site stormwater management.

Stormwater Credits & Incentives

Persons subject to the stormwater utility fee shall be eligible to receive a stormwater utility charge credit and/or incentive based upon the requirements of the City of Champaign Stormwater Credit and Incentive Manual.

Any credit allowed against the stormwater utility charge is to be conditioned upon continuing compliance with the City of Champaign Stormwater Credit and Incentive Manual. Proof of compliance as defined in the manual will be required.

Incentives

Incentives are available for any property in the City of Champaign that installs specific types of sustainable stormwater management features. It should be noted that both the credits and incentives programs are mutually exclusive and that credits and incentives will not be awarded to the same property, with the exception of the Private Detention Basin Maintenance Credit which can be earned in conjunction with either credits or incentives. Those properties that are eligible for credits will have to choose between the two programs. This Table summarizes the types of stormwater management features that qualify for incentives and the maximum incentive amounts available.

Maximum Available Stormwater Management Incentives

The maximum lifetime incentive amount available per property for the combination of rain gardens, rate reduction, volume reduction and water quality items is $1,000. Once a property reaches $1,000 in incentive payments for these items, no more incentives will be issued to the property regardless of the ownership. Rain barrels are not subject to any maximum lifetime incentive amount.

Credits

The City of Champaign has adopted a credit program policy that has identified a total of 6 categories of credits. These categories include: 1) private detention maintenance credits; 2) rate reduction credits; 3) volume reduction credits; 4) water quality/BMP credits; 5) direct discharge credits, and 6) education credits. The below table summarizes the credits and the applicable credit limit for each category.

Stormwater Utility Fee Credits

Credit / Incentive Determination

It is the intent of the City to process applications within thirty (30) working days of submittal of a complete and correct application package. Billing adjustments required to implement credits shall be applied retroactively to the date of receipt of the customer’s complete application. A pending application for credit shall not constitute a valid reason for non-payment of the currently assessed stormwater utility fee by the customer. If an application is denied, a letter explaining reason(s) for the denial will be provided to the applicant. The applicant has the right to appeal this decision in accord with the procedures outlined in Article VI of Chapter 29.5 of the City Code.

Maintenance Required

All stormwater management facilities require maintenance in order to perform as designed. Stormwater detention facilities are required to be maintained as prescribed in Chapter 23 of the City of Champaign Manual of Practice. Proof of maintenance is required annually in the form of an annual report. Failure to maintain stormwater management facilities will result in the loss of stormwater utility fee credits.

Term of Credit

All stormwater utility fee credits must be reapplied for every 5 years. In the case of stormwater detention maintenance credits the owner should consider reapplication coincident with the 5 year cycle of reporting required by Chapter 23 of the City of Champaign Manual of Practice. Credits are limited to a maximum of 50 percent of a property’s total stormwater utility fees.

Rainfall Proration

For volume reduction credits where rainfall prorations will be applicable, the following table shall be used:

LINKS:

Champaign Stormwater Ordinance 

City of Champaign Stormwater Management Page

Champaign Stormwater Utility Fee Credit and Incentive Manual

Champaign Detention Basin Standards