Funding of Non-point Source Program's "Stormwater Utilities": The Griffin Experience (Poster)

Proceedings of the 2001 Georgia Water Resources Conference, April 26 and 27, 2001, Athens, Georgia.At the 1999 Proceedings of this conference, the City of Griffin presented a paper on the first "Stormwater Utility" in the State of Georgia, a non-structural best management practice. The utility was created to give the City of Griffin the dedicated funding source needed to compliment the additional funding sources in its Stormwater management program. Flooding, impaired waters and worn out infrastructure topped the extensive list of challenges presented to their community. The Stormwater Utility was chosen as the funding method best suited to meet the City of Griffin's needs. A Stormwater Utility, like sewer or water supply systems, is user oriented with the costs being allocated based on services received. (Debo, Reese, 1995). It is the purpose of this presentation to follow up on Griffin's progress of their Stormwater Utility and promote the supplemental funding sources available for local governments: for which they can take advantage. Thus allowing them to work towards achievement non-point source issues, water quality and Stormwater infrastructure projects. Conclusions have shown, that by creating a dedicated funding source, the "Stormwater Utility" as part of the Stormwater program, can inspire and lead to potential, additional revenue sources. The utility provided the necessary funding for; inventory collection and GIS mapping, H/H (hydrologic and hydraulic) modeling, watershed assessments and capital improvements planning. This also funds the operation and maintenance of the Municipal's Separate Storm Sewer System operated and controlled by the City of Griffin. The focus of this presentation is to make water resource management professionals more knowledgeable and better informed of the potential funding opportunities for their Stormwater Management Programs. The term Stormwater management provides euphoniums for a broad range of related topics such as erosion control, flood plain management, wetland mitigations, detention/retention,and drainage facility design (Pyzoha, 1994).Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyThis book was published by the Institute of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2202. The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of The University of Georgia, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Georgia Water Research Institute as authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-397) or the other conference sponsors