Stormwater

What is Stormwater?

When it rains or as snow melts the water needs to go somewhere.  Some soaks into the ground, some evaporates, and the rest flows over land into creeks, ponds, wetlands and eventually into rivers and lakes.  In urban areas, rain can not soak into the ground because of concrete, asphalt, building rooftops, etc. and it will pick up and carry pollutants such as oil, gas, lawn fertilizers, and trash, downstream to our rivers and lakes.  In rural areas, chemical fertilizers and manure can be carried by rain water into drainage ditches that eventually make it to our lakes.

rain

 

pond
The Fitchburg Stormwater Utility was created to finance methods of controlling pollutants and suspended solids (dirt) by a series of detention ponds, drainage swales, rain gardens, and street sweeping. 

 

In addition we require erosion control best management practices on construction sites to minimize the amount of sediment that gets carried off by rain fall. 
erosion control

 

The Utility is funded by charging landowners a fee based on the amount of impervious area on a property. Fitchburg offers ways to reduce your Stormwater bill through credits and rebates for reducing stormwater run off from your property.

We also offer educational and outreach services to let the public know what they can do to help keep our waterways clean.  Fitchburg's stormwater discharge permit is part of the the Madison Area Municipal Storm Water Partnership (MAMSWaP). 

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