City
of Huntsville, Alabama
City
of Huntsville, Alabama
development. These should not be limited to floodplains
because some sites in the watershed
may be key to controlling runoff.
natural
areas as parks and greenways.
have
implemented flood warning systems.
rainfall
data would be used with watershed models to determine when flooding is likely. EMA
would decide whether to issue a warning, then
the warning would be disseminated
to people in affected watersheds.
who
bought homes in the floodplain?
an
associated cost. You produce sewage and
pay for its disposal, you produce runoff and
should pay for its disposal.
Q: How much are the fees for a stormwater
utility?
residential
user fee would be in the range of $2 - $5 per month. For example, Griffin, Georgia a
suburb of Atlanta charges $2.95 per month for a residential user. For a City of 24,000 this generates
$1.2M per year. This funding leveraged
millions from other sources for stormwater projects.
more
stormwater utilities than any other state.
Many communities, both larger and smaller than
Huntsville, have stormwater utilities.
Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: How many properties are in Huntsville
floodways?
A: 749 addresses in Huntsville floodways
Q: Will taxpayers have to buy all 749
properties?
A: No.
We can buy some, make channel improvements and reduce the size of the
floodway.
Q: Will you just buy properties and pave
channels?
A: No. We
buy properties, widen channels, and create additional greenways and parks.
Q: What is open space planning?
A: Open space planning is the rational
selection of sites that should be preserved from
Q: How will open space planning benefit
residents?
A: It keeps damage-prone development out of the
floodplain and preserves
Q: Can a flood warning system work for
Huntsville?
A: Yes.
Other cities with watersheds that respond quickly to rainfall
Q: How would a flood warning system work?
A: D3 – Detect, Decide,
Disseminate. For Huntsville, rainfall
forecasts and real time
Q: What is a watershed model?
A: It is a computer model that predicts runoff
and flooding in the watershed.
Q: What good are watershed models?
A: They are good for many things:
a. Improved flood maps
b. For assessing the impact of new development
on downstream properties
c. Critical element of flood warning system
Q: What is a stormwater utility?
A: It is a user’s fee paid for handling
stormwater.
Q:
I live on the mountain. Why
should I pay for flood mitigation for people
A: You produce stormwater that the City must
handle. Stormwater management has
A: The Huntsville fee would be determined after
a feasibility study, but we believe a
Q: What cities use a utility to fund stormwater
projects?
A: Many cities do this including
Chattanooga and Birmingham. The state of Florida has