Fees

Property owners may qualify for a fee credit by reducing impacts to the storm drainage system. The four questions below will help you quickly assess if your property might qualify. For more details, please read the specific fee credit policies.

Does your property border a neighboring county?

If so, you may qualify for the County Line Fee Credit. Your property line must be the same as the Mecklenburg County line and all stormwater runoff must flow directly into the neighboring county. Property owners who qualify for this credit pay no Storm Water Services fee.

County Line Fee Credit Policy(PDF, 28KB)

Does your property border the water’s edge of the Catawba River, Lake Norman, Lake Wylie, or Mountain Island Lake?

If so, you may qualify for the Catawba River Fee Credit. All stormwater runoff must flow directly into the river or lake without entering a storm drainage system. Property owners who qualify may receive a fee credit up to 96.4%.

Catawba River Fee Credit Policy(PDF, 156KB)

Do you have a pond on your property?

If so, you may qualify for the Pond Fee Credit. Your property must have a pond that captures and holds stormwater runoff, and the pond must meet additional criteria. Property owners who qualify may receive a fee credit up to 48%.

Pond Fee Credit Policy(PDF, 124KB)

Do you have an existing Stormwater Control Measure (SCM) that was designed by an engineer or landscape architect?

If so, you may qualify for the Stormwater Control Measure Fee Credit. Your property must have a specially designed control measure, such as a rain garden, level spreader, sand filter, or engineered pond. To request this credit, you must submit (1) an as-built survey of the control measure and (2) the credit application form with supporting calculations prepared and sealed by an engineer or landscape architect.

Stormwater Control Measure Fee Credit Application(PDF, 295KB)

Questions about fee credits?

City of Charlotte Contact
Rylee Hernandez
Charlotte Storm Water Services
980.287.5624
Rylee.Hernandez@charlottenc.gov

Mecklenburg County and Towns Contact
David Goode, PE, CFM
Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services
980.314.3235
David.Goode@mecknc.gov

How do I pay my Storm Water Services fee?

Most customers receive a monthly City of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County water services bill that includes the Storm Water Services fee as well as Charlotte Water drinking water and wastewater fees. While different departments and organizations provide these services, the fees and charges are included on one bill to simplify the billing and payment process for customers. You may pay your water services bill online, by phone, or in person at authorized payment locations. Visit the Bill Payment Options page for more information.

What are Storm Water Services fees used for in our community?

• Repairing public storm drainage infrastructure
• Reducing flood risks
• Improving surface waters

How is the Storm Water Services fee determined?

The Storm Water Services fee is based on a property’s impervious surface area such as rooftops and concrete driveways. The more impervious surfaces, the more stormwater runoff flows from the property into the storm drainage system. Properties with the least amount of impervious surface area pay the lowest Storm Water Services fee.

What is counted as impervious surface?

Impervious surfaces are hard surfaces that do not allow rainwater to absorb into the ground. Common examples of impervious surface include rooftops and concrete driveways. Areas covered with grass, trees, gardens, and gravel are not included when measuring impervious surface area for purposes of determining the Storm Water Services fee. However, gravel is considered impervious surface for many stormwater regulations.

How is the amount of impervious area on my parcel determined?

Impervious surfaces are identified and measured using aerial photography for each parcel in Mecklenburg County. Your parcel’s impervious surface area is listed on the front of your City of Charlotte/Mecklenburg County water services bill. To view your property's impervious area, go to https://mcmap.org/geoportal/ then type in your address and click on impervious.

Call 311 (or 704.336.7600) if you have questions about your parcel’s impervious area or would like to request an inspector to validate the square footage.

What are the billing tiers?

Detached Single-Family Residential properties (one individual, detached, single-family home on a parcel) are in one of four billing tiers based on the property’s total amount of impervious surface. Each property in the tier is billed the same amount.

Tier 1:  <2,000 square feet of impervious surface

Tier 2:  2,000 to 2,999 square feet of impervious surface

Tier 3:  3,000 to 4,999 square feet of impervious surface

Tier 4:  5,000 or more square feet of impervious surface

All Other properties (commercial buildings; attached single-family homes such as duplexes, triplexes and apartments; multiple single-family structures on one parcel) are billed for the actual amount of impervious area on the property.