Stormwater Utility Fee Could be Coming down the Pipeline for Fayetteville

Twenty million dollars. That’s the estimated cost to fix the current stormwater problems to protect property and public safety in Fayetteville – and that’s just for the documented issues. That is also on top of the $1.5 million already spent annually on stormwater activities in town.

Fayetteville, along with all of Northwest Arkansas, is growing at a fast pace. This increasing development means increasing impervious surfaces, making water less able to soak into the ground and more flooding occurs. Currently, Fayetteville lacks a base level of adequate funding for stormwater and drainage projects. In fact, only about $200,000 a year is actually budgeted to drainage capital improvement projects.

The answer might be in the form of a “stormwater utility fee”, a small fee that could be added to a person’s water bill. There are about 1,500 cities nationwide, and only 2 in Arkansas that have a stormwater utility fee.

The City of Fayetteville contracted with Jacobs Engineering to conduct a “Study for Flood Management and Water Quality Funding”. This study aimed to identify three things: What’s the current stormwater program, infrastructure, and cost? What do the residents and city planners want out of their stormwater management program? And, what are some ways that improved management activities and infrastructure might be funded?

Fayetteville’s stormwater system includes over 585 miles of roads, 500 miles of drainage pipes and channels, 1,500 stormwater outfalls, 12,000 manholes, and 285 stormwater detention ponds.

The study is ongoing, but it has identified that there are current and expected future drainage needs that must be addressed. City engineers and planners are also considering various scenarios, with each one being more robust (and costly) than the last.

Each scenario comes with changes in the extent of service, or where the City will work; the level of service, or what activities the City will do; and how quickly things get done. Currently, much of the problem areas are on private property, and the City is not legally allowed to work there. But, the City could acquire additional easements that would allow it to take on more areas of responsibility.  

As the community grows, so do costs associated with building and maintaining adequate stormwater infrastructure to protect human safety and property.

The potential stormwater utility fee is just one funding mechanism City planners are considering. There are also about $15 million earmarked for drainage activities and improvements in a bond package that voters will consider this spring. However, bonds can be used for some drainage activities, such as capital improvements, but not other activities like maintenance.

Public input from residents and other stakeholders is important to ensure that management decisions reflect what is best for the community. Anyone can participate in the process by completing a survey at Fayetteville-ar.gov/speakup or by attending a public input session.