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Storm Water Utility Fee - As a part of the 1972 Clean Water Act, the United States Environmental Protection Agency established storm water rules for small municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) called the NPDES Phase II Storm Water Regulations. The past several issues of the newsletter has focused on explaining the requirements of the NPDES Phase II Program.

The Village of Canal Winchester was issued a discharge permit in 2003 to operate our system; however, we were required to implement our storm water program within five years completing required tasks leading up to full implementation of the 1972 Clean Water Act. These guidelines are developed to reduce the discharge of pollutants, protect the water quality and satisfy the appropriate water quality requirements of the Clean Water Act. The programs must include six of the following minimum control measures in order to comply with requirements:

Public education and outreach
Public participation and involvement
Illicit discharge detection and elimination
Construction site runoff control
Post-construction runoff control
Pollution prevention and good housekeeping

Due to all the new requirements, additional funds are needed to help support these mandated activities. In the past, all storm water related activities, including maintenance, repair and replacement, have been funded by the Village’s General Fund. In the West Waterloo Phase II project, the storm water related costs were over $500,000 and engineering costs for the implementation of the storm water program costs around $20,000 annually.

Due to these increasing costs placing a burden on the general fund, a storm water utility fund has been formed. This fund will act like the waster and water reclamation utility funds. The utility will be governed by the Storm Water Management Code, which calls for the implementation of user rates. In an effort to ease the burden on the public, the rates will be phased in by an administrative fee of $1.00 per month being applied to all parcels in the Village. This fee will be added onto the water and sewer bills. After a study of impervious area is performed, a fee will be set for all residential parcels. For other parcels, the fee will be calculated by comparing the impervious area to that of residential parcels.

If you have any questions, or require additional information, please contact Matt Peoples at 614.834.5111
 

Canal Winchester Utilities Bills for water and sewer residents are billed to our customers every other month.  The bill is due by the 15th of February, April, June, August, October and December.  Late charges are calculated for all payments received after the fifteenth.  Late charges are ten percent of the bill, or $5.00, whichever is greater. Do not assume that your late fees will only be $5.00.

In cases that we cannot read a meter, for example, when dogs are outside or no one is available for an inside reading, the bill may not go out as promptly.  Our meter readers will leave the self read cards and as soon as the readings are returned or called in, we will process the billing.  Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.  If, for whatever reason, you have no received your bill by the first of the month that it is due, please do not hesitate to call the billing office at 837-7716 and talk with Janet Armentrout.  She will be able to tell you the status of your account and how much is due.


Save Money, Conserve Water

Water efficient landscaping is one of the best ways to enhance the beauty of our surroundings and preserve our most precious natural resource, water. Water wise landscaping techniques are actually simple, but can translate into substantial savings during summer months, when water consumption increases by at least 40 percent. The number of ways to create beautiful water efficient landscapes is limited only by your imagination.

Your family can begin to practice water efficiency right in your own backyard. While you may have learned to make the most efficient use of water inside your home, you should also know how to save water when caring for your yard and landscaping. During the hot dry summer months, frequent watering of your lawns and gardens can more than double a normal Ohio household’s water usage. You’ll conserve precious water resources by watering lawns and garden plants early in the day, before 10 a.m. to reduce evaporation and sun scalding. Water slowly, deeply and less frequently. Your lawn shouldn’t need more than one inch of water per week, either through natural rainfall, watering or a combination of both. You can measure that easily by setting an empty tuna can or rain gauge on a shaded open area of lawn.

Most importantly of all, don’t lock yourself into a fixed watering schedule. Let conditions and common sense be your guide and water only when necessary. For example, you shouldn’t need to water on a cloudy day or during a cool spell.

During the hottest weeks of the summer, brown grass doesn’t necessarily mean dead grass. Turf grasses protect themselves by becoming brown and dormant. Their root systems will usually remain alive and healthy. Mow less frequently during hot weather and set your mower to keep the grass taller. It should be around three inches. This will allow the grass to shade its own roots and reduce the watering required.

If everyone can participate some way to decrease outside water usage, our peak demands will decrease which means the size of the water treatment facilities will have a longer lifespan. For more information about water issues contact Joe Taylor at 614.837.5623