VLAWMO is increasing its stormwater utility fee (SWU) in 2017 for residents of the Watershed.

Why is VLAWMO on my property tax statement and why do I pay you?

 VLAWMO is funded through a fee assigned to each property within the watershed. This fee is called a stormwater utility (SWU). To learn more about the work your fees support, please visit our about page.

Why do I see two Storm sewer fees on my statement (if you do)?

 You may see stormwater fees on your local water bill that you receive from your city or township and wonder why you are paying two storm sewer fees. Actually, the fees you pay to your municipality are used for the water management projects the community is in charge of – this can include storm ponds, storm sewers, or other local infrastructure. The SWU that is paid to VLAWMO goes towards the protection and management of the lakes, streams, and wetlands within this watershed.

Why am I paying more in 2017 for my SWU?

VLAWMO has strived to keep the SWU rates to a minimum while still providing high-quality service. You may notice that your rate for 2017 has gone up and we want you to understand why this change has occurred. A single family residential property will be paying $7.92 more (at total of $36.84) in 2017. In recent years, we have been able to keep the SWU at a lower rate because we were using cash reserves to help pay for our general duties. Those reserves have now been spent and therefore a raise in fees was necessary in order to continue the work VLAWMO is required by law to address. While the fees are higher than they were in years past, VLAWMO remains one of the most cost-effective watershed organizations in the metro area.