The stormwater fee collected on the Town of Windsor Utility Bill collectively provides for the operation and maintenance of the Town of Windsor’s stormwater service.
In 2020, monthly stormwater rates for residential customers will increase 4.67%. which comes out to $0.16 per month or $1.92 per year for the average customer. All Windsor Utility customers are charged a stormwater fee. Depending on where a customer lives, they may also be charged for water and/or wastewater services their household receives.
The Cost of Stormwater
There are two types of sewer systems in Windsor: wastewater and storm. The stormwater system is also known as the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System—or MS4—and is the collection of pipes, ditches, detention ponds and other conveyances that carry outdoor water runoff untreated into the Cache la Poudre River.
In 2017, the Town of Windsor received its stormwater discharge permit from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The permit allows the Windsor to discharge the cleanest stormwater possible from its MS4 to the Cache la Poudre River. The MS4 permit program is developed and monitored by the Stormwater Program Coordinator.
In compliance with the stormwater discharge permit requirements, Windsor will implement programs to reduce stormwater pollutants. The plan for doing this is outlined in Windsor’s MS4 Program Description Document which can be requested by contacting Windsor's Stormwater Program Coordinator.
As a condition of the permit, the following five measures must be met:
Public Education and Outreach. Educate the community to reduce water quality impacts associated with pollutants in stormwater runoff.
Illicit Detection and Elimination. Develop, implement, and enforce a program to detect and eliminate spills, illegal dumping and other non-stormwater discharges into the town’s mapped storm sewer system.
Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control. Develop, implement and enforce a program to reduce discharge of pollutants in stormwater runoff from construction activities.
Post-Construction Stormwater Management. Prevent or minimize impacts to stormwater from new development or redevelopment by ensuring that stormwater conveyance structures are maintained and operate as designed.
Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations. Develop, implement and enforce a maintenance program to prevent or reduce pollutants in runoff from municipal operations.