- Home
- Departments
- Water Utilities
- Stormwater
Stormwater
The stormwater program offers a wide range of services related to the quality and quantity of stormwater. These services include public education, storm system maintenance, inspections, management, reduction of stormwater pollution caused by illegal connections and discharges, and general drainage improvements throughout the Town.
What is Stormwater?
Stormwater is runoff from rain or melted snow that flows into a storm drain and then a nearby waterway, picking up pollutants along the way. Federal and state regulators mandate Water Utilities to reduce the amount of pollution reaching waterways.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has designated the Town of Brownsburg as a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). The Town is required to comply with a state-issued stormwater permit (INR040002) (PDF). Brownsburg is implementing a program to prevent stormwater pollution in urban runoff and improve the water quality of local water bodies. Annual Reporting of the MS4 program (PDF) implementation measures and goals must be submitted to IDEM annually.
- What services will I receive as a result of the stormwater utility? How are the stormwater utility funds spent?
-
The Stormwater Utility is designed to provide a broad range of services related to stormwater quantity and quality such as public education, storm system maintenance, inspections, management, reducing the amount of stormwater pollution associated with illegal connections and discharges and public drainage improvements throughout the Town. These services might not directly affect your individual site at a given time, but these services must be broadly funded from all parcel owners within the Town to collectively have a positive effect on stormwater and water quality.
- How is the stormwater utility calculated?
-
Equivalent Residential Units (ERUs) are used to assess the Stormwater Utility. It was determined that the average residential lot has a total of 2,900 square feet of impervious surfaces. An impervious surface is any surface that prevents water from penetrating the ground. Examples include buildings, driveways, parking lots, concrete surfaces, paved areas, gravel areas, tanks and any other features that do not allow rainfall to soak into the ground. The average square footage of impervious surface area is known as an equivalent residential unit.
Each residential property within the Town is charged for one ERU per month at a pre-defined rate. Non-residential properties are also charged based on the amount of impervious surface on their property. The total amount of impervious surface area on a non-residential parcel of land is divided by 2900 square feet (one ERU) to determine the number of ERU’s associated with a given parcel. These properties are then charged a pre-defined rate per ERU per month. For example, a commercial property with 11,600 square feet of impervious area would be charged for 4 ERUs (11,600 square feet / 2,900 square feet) and would pay a monthly stormwater utility fee of four times the residential rate.
The Town’s authority for collecting the Stormwater Utility is found in Chapter 56 of the Town of Brownsburg’s Code of Ordinances and Indiana Code 36-9-23.
- Who has to pay the stormwater utility?
-
All properties within the Town of Brownsburg are subject to the stormwater utility.
Ways to Prevent Stormwater Pollution
- Don't blow grass or pile leaves on the sidewalk or street where they can blow or wash into storm drains. Aim your mower away from paved areas. Use a leaf blower or broom to move clippings into the yard, not the street.
- Don't dump grass clipping or other yard waste in a swale, ditch, or creek. Recycle grass clippings as a natural fertilizer. Leave them on the lawn to biodegrade or compost them for rich natural fertilizer for your plants and garden.
- Properly dispose of yard waste at the Hendricks County Recycling District's recycling center.
- Curbside recycling is available through WM and Republic Services.
Plans
The Stormwater Master Plans was adopted by the Town Council in January 2024. This plan prioritizes infrastructure updates to accommodate the expected growth in the population in the coming years.
Stormwater Rules & Guidance
Title XV: Land Use Chapter 151 covering Stormwater Management revisions were approved by the Town Council in April 2024.
Ordinance Clarification
The minimum Tc value for defining the peak intensity (inches/hour) on the NOAA IDF curve is 30 minutes. If the calculated Tc is longer than 30 minutes, use the calculated Tc to define the peak intensity.