Gwinnett County’s Stormwater Utility: 6 Years Down

摘要

Gwinnett County, located to the North East of Metro Atlanta, experienced exponentialdevelopment and growth during the 80’s and 90’s, and now has a population approaching850,000. In 2003 the County recognized the need to establish a stable funding source to supportthe management of the County’s watersheds and drainage infrastructure. The County ultimatelydecided on a stormwater utility which raises annual revenues of approximately $30M to managethe county’s 1,300 miles of storm sewer, 15 flood control dams and watershed restorationprogram.Implementation of the utility involved the development of management structures, policies, anordinance, a rate resolution and a billing system.Over the past six years the utility has matured in response to various incidents, regulatorychanges, the economic slowdown, and through a process of continuous improvement driven byvarious studies to better understand the needs of our customers, the watershed and the County’sdrainage infrastructure.