Frequently Asked Questions

Stormwater flows into drains and through pipes underground into nearby surface ponds and other structures before ending up in lakes and other waterways. Menomonee Falls has over 150 miles of storm water pipes that lead to surface ponds and eventually nearby waterways.

Stormwater is not clean, but some contaminants are removed when the water flows into ponds and other structures before it goes into lakes and streams. When stormwater makes its way to ponds from homes, parking lots, and roads, it takes sediment, fertilizers, trash and other pollutants with it.

It matters because it can cause flooding, which damages or destroys property and threatens the health and safety of the public. Stormwater also carries pollutants into our waterways, spoiling activities like swimming, boating, and fishing and damaging ecosystems. Additionally, the federal and state governments regulate stormwater, and they are requiring communities including the Village of Menomonee Falls to do more to address pollution.

When stormwater runs off grass areas or impervious/ hard surfaces, such as rooftops, sidewalks, and driveways, it collects pollutants. The stormwater runoff may be polluted with soil particles, oil, pesticides, litter, fertilizer, pet waste, bacteria, auto fluids and other material. This stormwater runoff travels into the storm sewer system and is discharged into our lakes and nearby waterways without being treated. Stormwater pollution is measured by the water quality of these valuable resources.

Sediment is loose sand, clay, silt, or other particles of soil that end up settling at the bottom of a water body. It clogs storm drains and catch basins, increasing chances of flooding. Too much sediment can also kill fish and aquatic vegetation, and it increases the cost to treat drinking water. Phosphorus is an element that is found in leaves, fertilizer, and other substances. Too much phosphorus can cause large algae growths that kills off other aquatic life and ruins recreational water activities. It also increases the cost of treating drinking water. Bacteria are microorganisms that can cause disease. The Village’s waterways currently contain many dangerous bacteria, increasing the risk of illness and restricting recreational uses such as beach closures.

Yes, they are. However, human activities greatly increase how much of them enter our waterways. For instance, leaves from trees fall on the roads, and if they aren’t collected, stormwater carries them to the waterways, and they add both sediment and phosphorus in large amounts. These amounts are well above what these waterways would naturally have, causing the problems explained above.

The Village must reduce the sediment, phosphorus, and bacteria that enter the waterways in the Village that then f low into other waterways.

The Village has installed infrastructure such as retention ponds and culverts, maintains that infrastructure with cleaning and repairs, collects leaves, sweeps the streets, tracks pond maintenance, and much more. However, to comply with regulations, the Village is required to do more.

The Village currently funds the stormwater utility through the general property tax levy. Fees would provide a fairer, more equitable way to pay for stormwater work because all developed properties would pay in proportion to the stormwater that runs off each property. Right now, some properties have stormwater runoff and don’t pay anything for the costs they’re creating. With fees, all developed properties including tax exempt properties would pay their share of the costs, just like they pay for other utility services such as water and sanitary sewer.

The Stormwater Utility fee raises the revenue needed to fund the stormwater management program. This program brings Menomonee Falls into compliance with federal regulations and safeguards our community through improved drainage and the protection of local waters. The following are a few examples of what the fee goes to fund:

• Constructing new storm sewer projects
• Storm drain cleaning and repair
• Street sweeping
• Shoulder and ditch maintenance within the street right-of-way
• Public education and outreach
• Inspection and enforcement of construction site erosion control standards
• Cleaning dirt and debris from pipes, inlets & catch basins

The monthly utility fee for stormwater ranges from municipality to municipality. Based upon Menomonee Falls’ anticipated budget for operation and maintenance, the fee will be $5.74 per month ($68.88 annually) for a residential property. Commercial, industrial, and institutional properties will be calculated based on the amount of impervious surface located on that property.

Yes, most municipalities in the area have a stormwater utility fee. Neighboring villages such as Elm Grove and Sussex have a monthly storm water fee of $10.23 and $8.76, respectively. In total, there are over 130 municipalities in the state of Wisconsin that have this fee.

The Village is considering adopting a credit policy that would grant credits to nonresidential properties that install and maintain features for management of stormwater, like retention ponds, that would reduce the Village’s cost for stormwater service. These properties would be eligible for a credit of up to 50 percent.

The more impervious surface area a property has, the more stormwater runs off the property, the larger the stormwater fee. Each fee would be determined in relation to the average impervious surface area of a single-family residential property, also called an equivalent residential unit (ERU). Each single-family residence would be charged 1 ERU. All other developed properties would be charged based on the amount of impervious surface area they have.

During major storms, all developed properties contribute stormwater runoff, which includes pollutants and might contribute to flooding risk in other places, including roads you may use. Additionally, the whole Village falls under state and federal regulations for stormwater, not just certain properties, so every property bears responsibility for helping meet these regulations.

Yes, since 2002 there is an agreement signed at the time of a development that requires a stormwater pond and other facilities to be inspected every 5 years and one report submitted to the Village. A homeowners association HOA may take on this responsibility for all owners in a subdivision. It is important though as an owner of a stormwater pond to inspect it at least yearly to make sure the pond outlet is not clogged, trash is removed and trees are not growing wild in the pond or on it's banks such as Willow trees.

Everyone can do their part to keep pollution from entering our rivers. Each one of us can make our rivers cleaner by:  picking up trash, pick up pet waste from our yards and when walking our dogs, repairing any leaking oil from our cars and trucks, reducing pesticides and fertilizers we place on our lawns, and even washing our cars at a car wash rather than on our driveways.