Surface water utility billing

Services and fees

The surface water utility fee is a service charge for surface water management services. These fees are primarily used to provide drainage and water quality services and fund the activities required by the federally mandated permit known as the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The NPDES permit requires municipalities to conduct environmental education and outreach, monitor for illicit discharges, control runoff from new development, complete system maintenance (such as catch basin cleaning and street sweeping) and perform water quality monitoring.

History

The City of Marysville established a surface water utility in 1999. The utility fee was collected by Snohomish County on property tax statements. Starting in 2007, the City of Marysville began collecting the fee independently of Snohomish County. The fee is no longer on a customer’s property tax statement; it is now included on their City of Marysville utility bill as a surface water fee.

How rates and fees are determined

The fee is based on the area of impervious surface coverage on a parcel. Single-family residents pay a flat rate, while non-single-family parcels are assessed a fee that is calculated using an Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU). An ERU is the average square feet of impervious surface on a single-family parcel in the city. This number was calculated to be 3,200 square feet. The monthly fee is determined for a non-single-family parcel by assessing the square footage of impervious surface and then dividing by an ERU and multiplying by the monthly rate.

How much is the fee?

As of January 1, 2024, all single-family residences are charged a flat rate of $27.70 bi-monthly, while non-single-family parcels pay $27.70 bi-monthly for each Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU = 3,200 square feet of impervious surface area, see the example below). Each year the fee may be increased by 2%.

Example of how the fee is determined

Non-Single Family Property

Total Parcel Size: 139,744 ft2  (red outline)

Total Impervious Surface: 24,153 ft2  (red shaded area)

ERU: 24,153/3,200 = 7.5

Fee: 7.5 x $27.70 = $207.75 (billed every other month)

Aerial map of a parcel of land, where the parcel is outlined in red as a sample for fee calculation.

What is an impervious surface? 

Impervious surface is a hard surface area that prevents or reduces the entry of water into the soil. Common impervious surfaces include, but are not limited to, rooftops, walkways, patios, driveways, parking lots or storage areas, concrete or asphalt paving, gravel roads, packed earthen materials and oiled, macadam or other surfaces, which similarly impede the natural infiltration of storm water. Open, uncovered surface water management facilities are not considered as impervious surfaces.

Is everyone required to pay the utility fee? 

Yes, everyone pays the fee, but there are some reductions offered by the City. For more details on the following reductions, refer to Marysville Municipal Code Chapter 14.19.080.
  • Senior citizen low-income and/or disabled low-income
  • Public education institutions
  • State highways
  • Rainwater harvesting system 

No surface water leaves my property, it all infiltrates. Do I still have to pay the fee?

Protecting water quality and preventing flooding benefits all ratepayers and those programs are administered citywide. All property owners must pay for citywide stormwater management because each parcel contributes runoff to roadway stormwater systems, streams, or groundwater. The fees are based on the runoff contribution of each parcel, not the potential benefit to the property. Parcels with large amounts of pavement or buildings pay a higher fee because they contribute more runoff and typically generate more pollution. Sites with large impervious areas, such as parking lots, are contributing more contaminated runoff to the stormwater management system. All city residents use public roads. Maintaining the storm system, and condition of the roads, is an essential part of the surface water program.