CRWA in the News

Newton's stormwater fee off to a great start

By Guest Commentator Kate Bowditch

Newton Tab, Wednesday, February 17, 2007

These days when it rains, people in Newton are likely to have a new focus: where is all that rain going, and how does it get there? Most Newton residents have now received their first water and sewer bill that includes the new Stormwater Drain Fee, and for the first time, people who may never have thought about stormwater are gazing into the storm drains in their street.

Having worked with Newton residents and town officials for years to reduce the amount of polluted stormwater that runs into the Charles River, Charles River Watershed Association is delighted to see Newton making stormwater management a priority and finding a reliable, fair way to fund its program.

Most people understand the need to pay a fee for the drinking water that is pumped into their homes, and for the sewage that is taken away and treated out at the Deer Island wastewater treatment plant in Boston Harbor. But few people realize that Newton has a third set of pipes and infrastructure to take care of as well: the stormwater management system. For years, the cost of building, maintaining and improving this system came from general revenues, and was handled as one of the many general duties of the Department of Public Works. But as stormwater management has become more of a priority, new technologies have emerged, and regulatory requirements have evolved, the complexity and costs of stormwater management have expanded. For Newton, it became increasingly clear that stormwater, just like water and sewer, needed to pay for itself.

So far, people haven’t been complaining. Newton residents are generally supportive of efforts to clean up the Charles, and everyone is aware of Newton’s flooding issues. Having a dedicated fund to pay for this work makes sense. Following a simple, two-tiered rate structure, residential properties pay $6.25 per quarter, or $25 per year; all other properties pay $37.50 per quarter, or $150 per year. It turns out that this simple structure is reasonable and fair, in spite of different lot sizes. Larger homes tend to be on larger lots, with more open space for stormwater to seep back into the ground before leaving the lot and pouring into the city drain system, so the impact on the stormwater system of residential properties is roughly the same. Other properties such as commercial buildings tend to have a much higher percent of the lot paved and covered with impervious surfaces, and so have a much higher relative impact on the stormwater system.

Newton estimates that its direct annual stormwater program costs are approximately $575,000. This includes costs for a dedicated environmental/stormwater engineer who manages the entire stormwater program; training and new equipment for the stormwater management crew; ongoing maintenance and “good housekeeping” practices such as street sweeping and catch basin cleaning; a public education program; and support for one or more priority capital projects per year. Of course, just like water and sewer fees, stormwater fees can only be used for the stormwater program.

One capital improvement project that is already under construction is the creation of new bioretention areas in the parking lot of the Chestnut Hill Shopping Center. Following recommendations from the Hammond Pond Stormwater Management Master Plan, several bioretention areas are being built on the periphery of the pond. Basically, they are shallow depressions where runoff is collected from portions of the large parking lot and naturally cleaned by plants and soils before flowing into Hammond Pond. Capital funds for this project came from a grant received from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and supplemental funding from the city of Newton is provided in the form of labor, equipment, surveying and project management costs. The Chestnut Hill Garden Club designed the planting plan and donated their time to install the specialized trees and shrubs. 

Newton’ stormwater fee program will be carefully monitored and if changes are needed, they will be recommended to the Board of Aldermen. Some questions that may come up for consideration include issues such as whether all noncommercial properties should be assessed at the same rate, and how to ensure that the fees keep up with the costs of running the program. For those properties that have stormwater management in place or use low-impact development techniques, such as permeable pavement, rain barrels, dry wells or infiltration trenches, an abatement or credit can be requested. To learn more, visit the city’s Web site: ci.newton.ma.us/dpw/engin/index.htmor stop by the utilities billing office in City Hall.

As the first city or town in the Charles River watershed to enact a stormwater fee, Newton has taken an enormous step forward. Stormwater infrastructure is finally catching up to water and sewer infrastructure and getting the attention — and the funding — that it needs.

Kate Bowditch has been with CRWA since 1994 and oversees CRWA’s science program.