Project Summary

In 2021, acting on recommendations of the Governor’s Council on Climate Change (GC3), the Connecticut legislature passed PA 21-115 enabling municipalities to create a stormwater authority to help manage stormwater and improve resilience to climate change by assessing a scaled user fee based on the amount of stormwater runoff a property generates. Funding generated from the user fee can be used to maintain and enhance stormwater treatment measures and resilient infrastructure and provide matching funds for state and federal grants.

The Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG) is starting a pilot program to help municipalities take steps to implement stormwater authorities.  With CIRCA funding, they will engage directly with four communities interested in this resilience financing strategy by helping with outreach and feasibility studies.

Product

SCCOG Stormwater Utility Feasibility Final Report

Project Description

SCCOG hired a consultant, CDM Smith with CIRCA's $67,000 grant to lead the Stormwater Authority Pilot Program that assists four municipalities with accomplishing prerequisite steps toward establishing stormwater utilities and identifies future steps and department roles and responsibilities for implementation.  Stonington, Waterford, Ledyard, and Preston are all participating in the project. Activities include:

• Introductory workshop with municipal staff;
• Participation resolutions from participating municipalities;
• Identification of minimum stormwater utility prerequisites for each participating municipality;
• Assessment of stormwater infrastructure costs to be funded through a stormwater fund in each municipality;
• Assessment of stormwater fee structure and stormwater bill implementation in each municipality;
• Identification of department roles and responsibilities in each municipality;
• Draft ordinance(s) establishing a stormwater authority in each municipality;