Stormwater Bill
All parcels in the City of Madison are charged a stormwater fee. These payments support the Stormwater Utility and its assets and are included in your monthly Municipal Services Utility Bill. Assets owned and maintained by the Utility include storm sewers, greenways, stormwater basins (detention ponds, infiltration basins, rain gardens), and equipment used for managing the storm drainage system. Even if you don’t have one of these features next to your house, these assets service the entire City by conveying water to keep roads clear and properties from flooding during storms and for conveying and treating stormwater to prevent flooding and reduce pollution to our lakes and streams.
The fee is comprised of three components (2023 rates):
- Flat fee of $2.15 per parcel
- A pervious area (grass, garden) fee of $0.00026 per square foot
- An impervious area (roof, pavement) fee of $0.00347 per square foot
All three billing components are shown on your billing statement. The "typical" Madison homeowner will pay $11.72 per month ($140.64 annually).
Pervious areas such as lawns absorb a portion of the rain that falls on them and contribute less water to the storm sewer. Impervious areas such as pavement and rooftops generally cause water to run off and go into the street and City storm sewer, which is why this fee is higher. Pervious and impervious areas for your lot are determined using aerial imagery.
If you feel the charges on your bill do not accurately reflect how much stormwater your property contributes to the system, you mail file a request to have a formal adjustment done.
Rate Adjustment Policy for the Storm Water Utility
If you have questions about your bill, email engineer@cityofmadison.com or call the Engineering Division, any weekday during regular business hours, 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.