Background

Storm water management is a very serious issue in Naples.  Specifically, how we handle storm water runoff.  Storm water runoff is the rain that falls on the roofs, driveways, streets, parking lots and other impervious surfaces, causing rain to run off into swales and sewers.  If rain falls on permeable surfaces like grass, sand or material specifically designed to be permeable, most of it will be absorbed into the ground.   

Storm water runoff creates two problems.  First, heavy rains flood our yards and streets.  To solve this problem, Naples uses a complex network of storm sewers to move the storm water off the streets and into our natural waterways.  However, this causes the second storm water problem.  The storm water runs into our streams, bays and the Gulf carrying all of the pesticides, fertilizers and street residue (i.e. oil) with it.  This runoff bypasses the natural cleaning process that occurs when water seeps into the ground. 

Additionally, because Naples is essentially flat, the city maintains an extensive network of pumps and lifts to move the storm water through our sewer system.  This infrastructure costs money to maintain and improve.  Therefore, the city has a minimum dollar threshold it must meet to keep the system working. 

Billing

As it stands now, all households (single-family or condominium) are billed the same rate based on an average permeable lot surface. All commercial properties pay based on the actual square footage of impervious area of the property.  For the commercial properties, this is a logical method because it forces the property owners to pay for storm water they produce.  It is also a fair billing system for single-family homes because they pay based on the average amount of storm water they produce. 

The issue comes for condo owners, who represent 70 percent of the city’s housing.  The city treats condos as a household so each condo unit pays the same flat fee that a single-family homeowner does. This causes each building to pay a greater portion of the storm water management than the building produces. The city has a program for condos to apply for a 30 percent reduction in their storm water bill by showing they have a Storm Water Management Plan for the property.  However, the better solution is to bill condo buildings as commercial property – i.e. based on their permeable surface area. 

Solutions

There are additional solutions to the city’s storm water issues that I am championing: 

1.   The city should place into its building codes storm water management requirements for all types of properties.  These codes should encourage property owners to seek new and creative ways to manage their own storm water.  For example, rain gardens particularly for property around the bays or lakes.

2.   The city should provide incentives for currently existing property owners to modify their homes and buildings to more effectively manage storm water.  There are several low-cost products currently on the market for retrofitting homes as well as some homegrown ideas from the city’s natural resources division.  They include:

a.       Cistern systems that use storm water for non-potable uses;

b.      Collection basins like the Rain Water Hog

c.       Rain Gardens that collect water and naturally clean it as it flows into the water systems

The city should use a combination of incentives that include reduced storm water fees for all property owners to encourage them to implement these additional systems on their own. 

As always, please email your thoughts to me on this vital issue or anything else you believe will add to the ambiance of Our Naples.