The stormwater utility is a monthly user fee that pays for maintenance, improvements to the stormwater drainage system and other stormwater program activities. This fee is similar to other utility fees for water, sewer, and garbage.
Why are properties in Fort Worth being charged a stormwater fee? Fort Worth is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. today, with a population
that surpassed one million in 2025. This growth
, coupled with a drainage system that is now decades old, presents new challenges and increased needs in order to control flooding and its impacts. In the past few years, eight people have lost their lives due to flooded roadways and over 300 homes and businesses have suffered major flood damage.
It is estimated that more than $1 billion is needed to mitigate flooding and high-water hazard areas and to improve maintenance. By providing a dedicated source of funds for these vital needs, the stormwater utility fee reduces the burden on city's general revenue bond program and tax revenue funds, and decreases the need for future tax increases.
Who is charged this fee? Owners of developed property in Fort Worth are charged a user fee for stormwater services. This includes residential property owners, businesses, apartment complexes, public facilities, city owned facilities and churches.
How is this fee determined? The stormwater fee is calculated based on the amount of hard surface on your property. If you own a single-family residence, your property is placed in one of four tiers depending on the square footage of your home. The fees effective January 2026 for single-family properties range from $3.65 per month for small homes with limited parking to $14.58 per month for large homes.
Each residence is placed in one of four tiers according to square footage. For example, a 1,600 square foot residential property falls into Tier 2 and is charged $7.29 per month.
|
Low Occupancy Billing Tier
|
Billing Unit – Equivalent Residential Units (ERU)
|
Billing
Basis
|
Monthly Rate,
Effective January 1, 2026
|
|
| Tier 1 |
0.5 ERU |
Up to 1,300 sq ft |
$3.65 |
| Tier 2 |
1.0 ERU |
1,301 to 2,475 sq ft |
$7.29 |
| Tier 3 |
1.5 ERU |
2,476 to 3,394 sq ft |
$10.94 |
| Tier 4 |
2.0 ERU |
3,395+ sq ft |
$14.58 |
High Occupancy Residential and Non-Residential Property Fees
The city uses digitized aerial photography to measure impervious (hard surface) areas of every developed parcel. Non-residential and high occupancy residential fees are based on the amount of hard surface area on the property. Hard surface area includes buildings, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots. Hard surface area will be divided by the standard Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) of 2,600 square feet to determine the number of billing units on the property. The number of billing units then will be multiplied by the standard ERU rate of $7.29
For High Occupancy Residential/Non-Residential Property such commercial and industrial properties, the monthly rate is $7.29 per billing unit (2,600 sf of hard surface = 1 billing unit).
For example, the fee for a small commercial property with a total hard
surface area of 1 acre or 43,560 square feet is $123.93 per month, effective January 1st, 2026
calculated as follows:
43,560 square feet ÷ 2,600 square feet/ERU = 16.75
billing units, rounded up to 17
17 billing units x $7.29 per month/ERU = $123.93 per month
Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Proposed Stormwater Utility Fee Increase
To help fulfill our mission to “Protect People and Property from Harmful Stormwater Runoff,” the Stormwater Program has proposed a 5% Stormwater Utility Fee increase for fiscal year 2027. The additional revenue will benefit the community through:
• Improved Performance of Private Stormwater Facilities
Increasing inspections from 190 to 300 sites annually provides increased oversight and support to property owners ensuring private drainage systems work property in turn improving drainage, reducing localized flooding. and improving neighborhood safety and aesthetics.
• Increased Management of City Engineered Channels
Expanding inspections from 15 to 20 miles each year strengthens flood protection by improving the identification and prioritization of maintenance and capital improvement needs which results in more reliable drainage, fewer emergency repairs, and long-term cost savings for residents.
• Safer Neighborhoods Through Targeted Mid-Sized Flood Improvements
Mid-sized flood mitigation projects, which will typically range between $1M to $15M, improve public safety by reducing the risk of flooding, improving protection to homes, businesses, and infrastructure.
• Expanded Partnership Opportunities for Community Benefits
Increasing dedicated partnership funding allows the Stormwater Program to participate more in projects led by other City departments, agencies, and/or developers, which can benefit residents through flood reduction, extending the life of existing stormwater assets, and avoiding future retrofit costs. Partnership projects can minimize disruptions to residents because combined projects can address multiple issues at once, such as coordinated improvements to street, water, and drainage infrastructure, rather than performing multiple separate projects in the same neighborhood.
- View(PDF, 7MB) to learn more about the benefits to the community and impacts to rate payers.
- View(PDF, 2MB) to read Frequently Asked Questions about the proposed fee increase.
Stormwater Utility Fee Credit Policy
Credits are awarded to non-residential rate payers in the City for voluntarily implementing Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) to help reduce the amount of runoff and/or to improve the water quality of runoff from their property. The credits are applied as percent discounts to the regular monthly stormwater fees. The Stormwater Management Division administers this program, in which credits are available for the following BMPs. The percentages reflect maximum possible award for each category.
| Credit BMP Category |
Percentage |
| Zero discharge for 100-year event |
80% |
| Extra flood storage on private property to relieve flooding outside their property in the public right-of-way |
25% |
| Green-Infrastructure practices |
25% |
| Inlet trash collection devices |
10% |
| Inlet markers with educational signs |
$100/year for 40 markers; $50/year for 20 markers |
| Parking lot sweeping |
Minimum 5%, maximum on case-by-case |
| Student educational for following SWM approved curriculum |
10% |
| Credit for posting visible educational signage on premises |
5% |
| Trash cleanup for participating in trash pickup events |
10% per event up to 20% per year |
| Beneficial special measures for categories not itemized |
Case-by-case |
Applicants agree to the following conditions for participating in the program:
1) Credits are valid for a year and must be renewed annually.
2) Sum of credits, except for zero-discharge and beneficial special measures, cannot exceed 40%.
3) Applicants submitting for detention or water quality facilities must submit a maintenance plan and agree to inspection.
4) Applicants must self-inspect and submit annual maintenance reports.
For more information, contact: Ranjan.Muttiah@fortworthtexas.gov or call 817-392-7919.
View Stormwater Utility Fee Credit Policy(PDF, 135KB)