Stormwater User Charge

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The City Council adopted a stormwater fee in 2003 to assist the City in operating and maintaining the stormwater management system. This fee helps fund maintenance on stormwater infrastructure, programs to improve stormwater quality, and projects to enhance overall drainage of the City.

As the WDNR requires that the City reduce pollutants running off into the stormwater system, the City has implemented the following programs:

Increased street sweeping throughout the City
Routine removal of material from catch basins owned by the City
Visual and chemical monitoring of stormwater outfalls within Oak Creek
Implementing a private pond program where City monitors and enforces private pond owners to maintain and inspect their ponds
Increased public education to improve stormwater runoff quality

For additional questions on the stormwater fee, please call 414-766-7002.

Questions and Answers

How is my fee calculated?

Each parcel contributes a certain amount of run off to the City storm water management system. The more impervious area a parcel has, the more run off is generated from that parcel.

Charges for storm water will be based on an “Equivalent Runoff Unit” (ERU) which represents the average cost for dealing with the impact of a single family home on storm water quantity (volume) and quality (pollution). For Oak Creek, an ERU is defined as 3,300 square feet - the average impervious area of a single-family home. Impervious areas are areas that do not allow storm water to soak into the ground. They include areas paved with concrete, asphalt, compacted gravel, or areas covered by buildings.

ERU Amount

Single family residential customers are charged one ERU.

Condominiums, including side-by-sides, will be charged 0.5 ERU per dwelling unit.

Non-residential rates are charged for the number of ERU’s for each parcel; this is calculated by dividing the customer's total impervious area by 3,300 square feet. Undeveloped properties will pay no storm water user fees until they are developed.

What is Impervious Surface?

“Impervious Area” or “Impervious surface” means a horizontal surface which has been compacted or covered with a layer of material so that it is highly resistant to infiltration by rainwater. It includes, but is not limited to, compacted gravel, as well as streets, roofs, sidewalks, parking lots and other similar surfaces. *per municipal code section 3.50.

Since impervious surfaces do not allow for rainwater to soak into the ground, stormwater runoff is increased.

Impervious Surface

Image Credit: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

How much is the stormwater fee?

What if I am not directly connected to an underground pipe?

Ditches and drainage channels (both natural and manmade) are part of the storm water management system. Even if your property is not connected directly to a City storm pipe or ditch, the water enters the City storm water management system at some point after it leaves your property. The City streets, catch basins, and other parts of the storm water management system are used by the site owner, their family, friends, associates, and delivery vehicles. These improvements in water quality are construed as a benefit to the State and City, and thereby to landowners and residents of the City of Oak Creek. A clean environment is more attractive to potential buyers than a degraded one. Measures taken by the City to improve water quality also help to maintain property value throughout the City. Additionally, protecting fish and bird habitat and maintaining clean waterways is generally recognized to provide quality of life benefits for landowners and residents within the City.

How can I check what I am paying for stormwater fees?

Click here to utilize the Oak Creek Stormwater Service Charge Lookup Map to verify how much your property is paying for a stormwater fee. Please note you will need to search by address or parcel number.

You can also use the Milwaukee County Tax Portal at https://pp-milwaukee-co-wi-fb.app.landnav.com/Login to search your property address or tax ID. The stormwater fee charge will be listed under the "Special" Tab.

Unable to locate it? Please give City staff a call at 414-766-7002.

How can I appeal my stormwater fee?