On Thursday, Jan. 22, Savannah City Council voted to approve a Stormwater Utility fee and service delivery plan, marking a significant step toward a more sustainable solution to stormwater management and flooding challenges across the city. 

The approval establishes a dedicated funding source to support an enhanced level of service related to the operation and maintenance of the drainage system as well as the construction of needed improvements to Savannah’s stormwater infrastructure—allowing the City to move beyond a reactive approach to service delivery toward a more proactive approach  that will be more responsive and effective in addressing drainage system issues. 

“Our residents have consistently asked us to do something significant about our persistent flooding,” said Mayor Van R. Johnson, II. “We can’t just sit around and hope things get better. We pray and we work—and this is the work part. I’m proud that the majority of this Council took responsibility, planned for the long term, and made the decision to ensure Savannah has the resources it needs to protect our neighborhoods, our businesses, and our future.”   

The City of Savannah operates one of the most comprehensive stormwater drainage systems in Georgia consisting of approximately 400 miles of pipes, 150 miles of ditches/canals, and thousands of catch basins. Much of that system is aging and increasingly strained by limited capacity, historic drainage challenges, and climatological factors such as more intense rainfall and sea-level rise. 

Historically, the City has relied on a combination of federal grants, Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds, and general fund appropriations to address drainage issues. While these sources have supported important projects, they have not provided consistent and adequate long-term funding needed to keep pace with drainage system issues. 

“For years, Savannah has addressed stormwater and flooding challenges project by project, often relying on limited or one-time funding sources. The Stormwater Utility allows us to take a long-term, planned approach, so we can maintain what we have, invest where the need is greatest, and build a system that’s better prepared for the future. This is about moving from reacting to flooding to preventing it,” said City Manager Jay Melder. 

Over the past decade, City staff have studied and evaluated options for creating a dedicated stormwater program funding mechanism that would allow Savannah to more effectively plan for and manage stormwater infrastructure over the long term. The approval of the Stormwater Utility represents the culmination of that work and provides a stable foundation for future investments and drainage system improvements. 

The newly enacted Stormwater Utility is housed in an enterprise fund supported by user fee revenue, similar to other City utilities such as water, sewer, and sanitation. The stormwater fee structure is based on impervious area, which correlates to the amount of stormwater runoff a property generates and the demand the runoff places on the city’s stormwater system. 

Revenue generated through the Stormwater Utility will be used exclusively for stormwater system operations, maintenance, regulatory compliance, and capital improvement projects with a key focus on reducing flooding risk, improving system reliability, and strengthening resilience citywide. 

“Savannah’s stormwater system is extensive and complex, and much of it is aging,” said Ron Feldner, Chief of Water Resources. “Establishing the Stormwater Utility gives us a stable, dedicated, and adequate funding source to move from reactive, short-term fixes to more proactive, systemwide improvements. This improved responsiveness will result in better maintenance, smarter capital investments, and progress toward reducing flooding impacts in all neighborhoods across the city.” 

The Stormwater Utility is designed to provide Savannah residents and businesses with a service delivery plan and dedicated funding source that supports regulatory compliance, enhances service delivery, and enables long-term planning for the stormwater program and our drainage infrastructure.  

For more information about the Stormwater Utility, visit savannahga.gov/stormwaterutility