Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services changed its fee structure on July 1, 2009.

During a rainstorm, the house on the right sends four times more rainwater into the storm system than the house on the left. Previously, both property owners paid the same monthly storm water charge.

Single-family homes in all of Mecklenburg County are now grouped into four billing tiers based on the size of impervious surface such as rooftops, driveways and patios. The new four tier structure is used to calculate each home's Storm Water fee. Storm Water rates are lowest for Tier I and highest for Tier IV.

Four Tiers:

Which Tier are you in?

To find out the size of your property's impervious area, use the Geospatial Portal.  
On the Portal, type your address in the upper left.
Click on the Environment tab. It will list your property's impervious area, plus give you a lot more information!

Remember: Impervious area is NOT the same as the heated square footage of your home. Impervious surface area includes driveways, rooftops, garages, outbuildings, sheds, patios, and private sidewalks.

Why does impervious surface matter?

The more hard surface on your property, the more storm water that runs off your land. As the amount of runoff increases, so does water pollution and the risk of flooding.

That depends on:

1)    the amount of impervious surface on your property (which tier you are in)

2)    where you live (storm water rates are different in the City of Charlotte, the six Towns, and the unincorporated areas)

As before, customers pay one total Storm Water fee, usually as a monthly charge. That single payment is divided to cover storm water management costs in the county as well as in the city or town where the customer lives.

See the new Storm Water Services fees

Frequently Asked Questions about the new Storm Water fees

Why is there a Storm Water fee?