The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has enacted a new method for charging customers for Storm Water Management Services (Services). It is important to understand the new rating system, as it could significantly impact all property owners in Philadelphia, especially nonresidential property owners, by charging considerably higher rates.
Terms you Need to Know
In the past, the charge for Services was based on an account’s meter size. As of July 1, 2010 the PWD began calculating the Services on an individual account basis, using the square footage of the Gross Area of the property and square footage of the Impervious Area of the property. PWD defines the Gross Area (GA) as the entire property area contained within the legally described boundaries of a property, not including portions of sidewalks that are in the public “Right-of-Way.” PWD defines the Impervious Area (IA) as the total square footage of any hard surface area, including buildings, any attached or detached structures, paved or hardscaped areas, and compacted dirt and gravel that either prevent or restricts the absorption of water into the soil, thereby causing water to run off the surface.
For each property that is 5,000 square feet or greater, IA will be calculated by using Philadelphia’s Geographic Information System, along with ortho-images of each property. For undeveloped properties that are less than 5,000 square feet, the IA is 25% of the GA of the property. For developed properties that are less than 5,000 square feet, the IA is 85% of the GA of the property.
Calculation of Charges
The new rate structure will be phased over a four year period as follows:
Year |
Existing Meter-based Charge |
New Parcel-based Charge |
7/1/10 to 6/30/11 |
75% |
25% |
7/1/11 to 6/30/12 |
50% |
50% |
7/1/12 to 6/30/13 |
25% |
75% |
7/1/13 to 6/30/14 |
0% |
100% |
Under the new rate structure, the GA factor and IA factor are determined by dividing the GA and IA of a property by 500 and rounding up to the next whole unit. Each unit is then multiplied by the unit charge, which for example, the period from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012 will be 0.528/500 square feet per month for GA and 4.169/500 square feet per month for IA.
Available Credits
PWD offers a variety of ways to receive credits. There are three categories of credits:
- Impervious Storm Water Credits (IA Credits)
- Gross Area Storm Water Credit (GA Credit)
- National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Industrial Permit Storm Water Credit (NPDES Credit)
Storm water credits involve the utilization of methods such as green roofs, porous paving, rain gardens and storm water harvesting, including: irrigation, fire suppression systems, toilet and urinal flushings, and custodial uses.
Even if a property receives the maximum amount of any available individual credits and/or combination of credits, it will still be subject to a monthly minimum charge. Credits will be in effect for a four year period and can be renewed so long as the renewal application is made at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the credit. The effective date for a credit is the first day of the month when the fully completed credit application and all supporting documents were filed.
Appeals
Property owners may appeal Services charges for technical accuracy, such as:
- Incorrect parcel
- Inaccurate property classification
- Inaccurate GA
- Inaccurate IA
- Residential side yard
- Water and Sewer Rents
Before property owners can submit an appeal, their water and sewer bill must be paid in full and their account must be up-to-date.
The new rate structure is anticipated to be costly for nonresidential property owners in Philadelphia. All property owners, developers and contractors affected by the changes should study the rate structure and be sure to identify how your future buildings plans may be altered and also how to appeal and/or mitigate the charges.
The attorneys at Cohen Seglias are prepared to advise companies regarding how these new rates will affect them, as well as how they can plan for future changes. For more information about the new rate structure, or other real estate issues, please contact Lonny S. Cades at (215) 564-1700 or lcades@cohenseglias.com, or the Cohen Seglias attorney with whom you normally consult.