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DeKalb officials outline 10%‑a‑year stormwater rate plan to address aging pipes, dams and detention ponds
Summary
County consultants told a town‑hall the stormwater utility faces large capital needs — thousands of culverts, hundreds of miles of pipe and aging dams — and proposed a 10% annual rate increase over 10 years to build capital and cover debt service; residents asked about protections for renters and how any surplus would be used.
County officials and consultants outlined a multi‑year plan to address deteriorating stormwater infrastructure and proposed raising residential stormwater fees by 10% a year for 10 years.
Consultant Rich (Argada) told the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners at a public town‑hall that the county’s modern stormwater program began after a 1994 NPDES/MS4 permit and that the stormwater utility created in 2003 now manages roughly 500 miles of pipe, 135 miles of roadside ditches, 22,000 catch basins, more than 900 detention ponds and several county‑owned dams. “The rate for the storm utility is basically $10 per month,” Rich said, noting that the fee is charged on the tax bill and applies to unincorporated DeKalb County and Stone Crest only.
Why it matters: county staff and the consultant said a large portion of the system is more than 30 years old, corrugated metal pipes are rusting out, and failures can isolate neighborhoods or damage roads. Director Allen emphasized the public‑safety risk posed by failing dams and aging pipes, saying it is “not a question of if… it’s a question of when.”
The proposal: presenters outlined a model the team calls a 10x10 (10% per year for 10 years) to increase available capital for high‑risk capital renewal, corrective maintenance and regulatory compliance. Under the model the stormwater program would maintain a six‑month operating reserve, dedicate excess operating funds to capital, and use loan proceeds and grants where possible. Presenters showed a stress test scenario for borrowing and said near‑term debt service tied to a roughly $30 million dam loan is a primary driver of immediate revenue needs.
Numbers and trade‑offs: consultants said a desktop estimate for rehabbing critical culverts and pipe was north of half a billion dollars for the county alone; adding Stone Crest increased that order‑of‑magnitude estimate by another roughly $100 million. The current monthly residential fee is about $10 ($120 per year). A 10% annual increase would be phased on the tax roll; exact amounts would depend on the board’s adopted path and annual reviews.
Questions from residents: during public comment, residents asked whether the fee would “revert” after 10 years, whether the utility is understaffed, whether any surplus would be diverted to other county programs, and how renter households would be affected. COO Zach Williams said the stormwater fee operates as an enterprise fund, that revenues would remain within the stormwater fund to support capital or staff, and that property owners — not the county tax office — are billed on the tax bill and therefore remain responsible for payment; whether owners pass costs to renters is an owner decision.
Next steps: staff promised written answers to public questions and agreed to return more detail at the next Public Works & Infrastructure committee meeting. The administration also identified grant and loan sources already in play, including a roughly $10 million loan and ARPA dollars used to offset costs.
The town‑hall did not include a formal vote; commissioners asked staff to return with the requested clarifications and maps showing service areas and planned capital locations.
