The Storm Water Utility is responsible for the construction, reconstruction and maintenance of the City’s storm water drainage system, as well as the water quality aspects of the City’s storm water pollution prevention program. Operational sections are located within the Public Works Department and the Environmental Services Department.
The Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) fee is a monthly fee paid by the owners of all properties in the City to support the efforts of the Utility. In 2007, the ERU fee is $2.00 per ERU per month. One ERU is equivalent to 2,139 square feet of impervious area. Residential units are billed 1 ERU or $2.00 monthly. Commercial and industrial facilities are billed $2.00 per month for every 2,139 square feet of impervious area on their property. For property owners with water and/or sewer accounts, the Utility fee is billed monthly on their water and sewer bill. For owners without water and sewer accounts, the Storm Water Utility billing is done twice a year.
The Storm Water Utility also includes the Flood Control section, which is responsible for maintaining the Wichita-Valley Center Flood Control Project “Big Ditch”. These duties include the floodway, Big and Little Arkansas Rivers, and major streams and creeks within the project limits in accordance with standards established by the Army Corps of Engineers. Total acres maintained by the Flood Control section is 8,612.
- Wichita-Sedgwick County Drainage Criteria Manual
- Citywide Storm Water Structures Inventory