Introduction

This project and the preparation of this manual was originally funded in part by a Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Program grant from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) through a contract with the Stormwater/Nonpoint Source Management Section of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Also participating in the funding of the project were the St. Johns River and South Florida Water Management Districts. In 2003, Florida Stormwater Association (FSA) updated the manual with funding contributed in part by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

After the grant was awarded, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) was created. The purpose of the TAC was to oversee the project, select authors for each chapter, and to review and comment on drafts of the text. After being selected through a competitive process, each author participated with the TAC in the peer review process. A list of the members of the TAC appears on the next page.

The manual was prepared to assist communities that are considering the development and implementation of a stormwater utility as a means of providing supplemental or alternative funding for their stormwater management program. It is written for citizens, elected officials, and city or county administrators and staff who want to understand the issues, benefits and community investment associated with stormwater utilities.

Use of this Manual

Stormwater utilities are a relatively recent development in municipal stormwater management. As of April 2003, a total of 112 utilities have been established in this State since the first Florida stormwater utility was implemented in Tallahassee in 1986. While this number appears large at first reading, it is important to note that it represents less than 24% of Florida's cities and counties.

This manual is intended to serve as a road map that describes the various issues and options involved in development and implementation of a stormwater utility. It is not a cookbook and does not attempt to present a single, universally adaptable solution with a standardized checklist of narrowly prescribed actions that must be undertaken in a lock-step manner.

Like children, no two communities are exactly the same. The mix of stormwater problems, community perceptions and approaches for developing long-term solutions are different in jurisdiction. This manual recognizes this fact and presents an overview of Florida stormwater management issues followed by seven chapters that discuss specific issues that a community will face during the development and implementation of a stormwater utility.