Stormwater Utility Enterprise Fund

In 2023, the Town of Wellesley adopted a Stormwater Utility Enterprise Fund similar to Wellesley’s existing water, sewer, and electric utilities, to more equitably distribute the necessary expenses that are required to meet increasing demands associated with the Town’s stormwater management program. Wellesley is facing federal requirements to reduce the amount of pollution from stormwater runoff discharging to waterways, including substantial phosphorous reduction requirements of runoff into the Charles River. Consequently, the Town must increase investment in stormwater infrastructure management to meet permit obligations.

The purpose of the federal requirements is to reduce the amount of pollution from stormwater runoff discharging into waterways.  Wellesley is in the Charles River Watershed and is required to substantially reduce phosphorous runoff into the Charles River. As a result, the Town must increase its investment in stormwater infrastructure management to meet these requirements.  

Previously these investments were funded through taxes. Starting in FY25, under the Stormwater Utility Enterprise Fund, a fee will be applied to all non-municipal properties including those owned by tax-exempt, non-profit and state agencies.  The stormwater fee is based on the amount of impervious surface on each property. Impervious surfaces are any hard material that prevent stormwater from infiltrating into the ground and include parking lots, driveways, and buildings. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers an enterprise fund to be a best practice to promote and maintain long-term financial sustainability for stormwater activities.  For Wellesley, we believe that a Stormwater Utility Enterprise Fund is a practical and more equitable way to fund and distribute the costs of this important program. 

Stormwater Utility Fund Rules and Regulations

Presentations & Outreach

The Public Works Department conducted a series of outreach and presentations in the lead up to adoption of the Stormwater Utility.  Below are links to the many of the materials used during the outreach. Additional videos and presentations may be available through  Wellesley Public Media:

• 11/09/2021 - Board of Public Works minutes: link here
• 11/09/2021 - Board of Public Works presentation slides: link here
• 12/14/2021 - Advisory Committee presentation video:  link here
• 12/20/2021 - Select Board presentation video: link here 
• 01/11/2022 - Board of Public Works Discussion minutes: link here 
• 01/14/2022 - Climate Action Committee presentation video: link here  not there
• 02/08/2022 - Board of Public Works Discussion minutes: link here
• 03/08/2022 - Natural Resources Commission presentation minutes: link here 
• 07/12/2022 - Board of Public Works Discussion minutes: link here
• 08/23/2022 - Stakeholder Outreach Series - Educational Institutions Virtual Meeting
• 09/20/2022 - Stakeholder Outreach Series minutes: link here 
• 09/27/2022 - Select Board Update video: link here 
• 11/02/2022 - Stakeholder Outreach Series - Town Department Heads - Internal Meeting  
• 11/15/2022 - Board of Public Works Discussion minutes: link here 
• 12/13/2022 - Board of Public Works Discussion video: link here 
• 12/20/2022 - Select Board Update video: link here 
• 01/18/2023 - Advisory Committee Meeting video: link here 
• 04/11/2023 - 2023 Spring Town Meeting: link here  
• 03/27/2024 - 2024 Spring Town Meeting Art 15: link here
• 04/01/2024 - 2024 Spring Town Meeting Art 36: link here  
• 05/13/2024 - Stormwater Utility Fee Public Hearing: link here  

Stormwater Utilities Throughout New England

Communities throughout New England have developed Stormwater Utilities to fund stormwater management goals and/or MS4 Permit Requirements. The graphic below demonstrates Stormwater Utilities adopted in the Northeast as of 2023. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) maintains a database of stormwater utilities in Massachusetts here.