The purpose of this chapter is to establish a mechanism for funding the operation and maintenance of the County storm drainage system in order that storm and surface waters may be properly drained and controlled so that the health, safety and welfare of the County and its inhabitants may be safeguarded and protected.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995)
The Board of Supervisors hereby finds as follows:
a. 
The County maintains a system of storm and surface water management facilities within the unincorporated area of the County, including but not limited to inlets, conduits, manholes, channels, ditches, drainage easements, retention and detention basins, infiltration facilities, overland release corridors, and other components as well as natural waterways.
b. 
Those elements of the County's storm and surface water management system that provide for the collection, storage, treatment, and conveyance of storm drainage are of benefit and provide services to all developed property within the unincorporated area of the County.
c. 
The cost of operating and maintaining the storm drainage management system, including necessary repairs, should, to the extent practicable, be allocated in relationship to the benefits enjoyed and services received therefrom.
d. 
Erosion and the discharge of nutrients, metals, oil, grease, and other substances into and through the storm drainage system is resulting in a degradation in water quality.
e. 
The public health, safety and welfare are adversely affected by poor water quality and flooding resulting from inadequate storm drainage management practices.
f. 
The storm drainage management practices necessary to protect water quality are largely established by federal and state statutes, regulations and permitting requirements.
g. 
Real property either uses or benefits from the presence and operation of the storm drainage management system.
h. 
The use of the storm drainage system is dependent on factors that influence runoff, including land use and impervious area.
i. 
The County has the authority under Health and Safety Code Section 5471 to prescribe, revise and collect fees, tolls, rates, rentals and other charges for facilities and services furnished by it in connection with its storm drainage system.
j. 
The Legislature, through the adoption of Health and Safety Code Section 5471, has specifically authorized the County to provide storm drainage services as a utility function for which service charges may be levied.
k. 
Storm drainage services are currently provided in the unincorporated area of the County by both the County and the Water Agency and funded through a combination of property tax revenue and benefit assessments.
l. 
Property taxes have proven to be an unreliable source of revenue due to the State of California's recent proclivity for shifting local property tax revenue from the County and special districts to schools.
m. 
Benefit assessments are an undesirable revenue mechanism because of the significant lag-time between the time that the assessments are approved and the time that they are received as part of the real property tax collection and allocation process. This lag-time creates the need to include a component in the assessment to provide a reserve for dry period financing purposes.
n. 
A fee to fund storm drainage services offers a reliable and consistent source of revenue that is locally controlled and independent of the vagaries of the State of California's budget process.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995)
The meanings ascribed to the terms set forth in this section shall govern the interpretation of this chapter.
a. 
"Administrative charge" means the charge imposed by the County's consolidated utility billing service for the actual cost of billing for, and collection of, storm drainage service fees.
b. 
"Chief of Water Resources" means the Chief of the Water Resources Division of the Department of District Engineering or his designee.
c. 
"Commercial/Office use" means the use of any developed parcel for any of the following or similar purposes: offices, wholesale or retail sales, establishments, or the provision of personal, professional or business services, including, but not limited to, retail stores, shopping centers, restaurants, service stations, car washes, vehicle, boat and trailer sales lots, parking lots, automobile repair and service facilities, auction yards, advertising offices, nurseries, general offices, financial service facilities, medical and dental offices, clinics and laboratories, and veterinary offices, clinics and hospitals.
d. 
"County" means the County of Sacramento.
e. 
"County storm drainage system" means the system of storm and surface water management facilities, including but not limited to inlets, conduits, manholes, channels, ditches, drainage easements, retention and detention basins, infiltration facilities, overland release corridors and other components as well as natural waterways, within the unincorporated area that is either owned or operated by the County or the Water Agency.
f. 
"Developed parcel" means any parcel of land altered from its natural state by the construction, creation or addition of impervious area.
g. 
"Engineer" means the Administrator of the County's Public Works Agency or his designee.
h. 
"Equivalent contributing parcel area" means the calculated area which, when multiplied by the impervious factor for the parcel's use classification, yields the parcel's measured impervious area.
i. 
"Exempt use" refers to
(1) 
the use of any public property (except as set forth in Section 15.10.045);
(2) 
any ”Undeveloped Use”, as defined herein;
(3) 
agricultural land used for crops or pasture, aquatic farms or orchards;
(4) 
County-maintained drainage ditches, property within a floodplain recognized by the County on which improvements are prohibited, and levees; and
(5) 
parks, open space parcels and trail systems.
j. 
"Fiscal year" means the annual period beginning July 1 and ending June 30.
k. 
"Impervious area" means the total area of a parcel of property covered by an impervious surface.
l. 
"Impervious factor (IF)" means a factor which represents the percentage of impervious area on a parcel which consists of a numerical value that is calculated on the basis of generally accepted engineering standards, review and application of such standards to local conditions, and statistics compiled by measuring impervious areas depicted on aerial photographs of real property.
m. 
"Impervious surface" means any surface on or in any parcel which reduces the rate of infiltration of storm water into the soil.
n. 
"Industrial use" means the use of any developed parcel for any of the following or similar purposes: to manufacture, fabricate, process or package products, to process or store food or chemical products, or for storage or warehousing purposes, including, but not limited to, processing, fabrication and assembly plants, warehouses, wrecking yards, aerospace facilities, truck and other transportation terminals, building materials storage, bakeries, canneries, wineries, creameries, meat and frozen food processing facilities, meat packing plants, slaughter yards, inspection and weighing stations, airports, railroads and railroad spurs, wells, electrical substations, water or sewage treatment plants, and mini-storage facilities.
o. 
"Institutional use" means the use of any developed parcel for any of the following or similar purposes: hospitals, nursing facilities, residential care facilities, retirement homes, day nurseries, mortuaries, churches, and schools.
p. 
"Low impervious development use" means the use of any developed parcel for any of the following or similar purposes: golf courses, surface mines, cemeteries, marinas, and sports fields.
q. 
"Multi-family residential use" means the use of any developed parcel for any of the following or similar purposes: triplexes, fourplexes, apartments, mobile home parks, hotels, boarding and rooming houses, fraternity and sorority houses, motels, the common areas of condominiums and planned unit developments, and bed and breakfast inns.
r. 
"Parcel" means the smallest separately segregated lot, unit or plot of real property having an identified owner, boundaries, and surface area which is documented for property tax purposes and given a tax lot number by the County Assessor.
s. 
"Parcel area" means the square footage of a parcel measured or estimated using the outside boundary dimensions in feet in order to obtain the total square footage without regard for any topographic features of the enclosed surface.
t. 
"Person" means any individual, firm, company, association, society, partnership, corporation, organization, group or public agency.
u. 
"Public agency" means the United States or any department or agency thereof, the State of California or any department or agency thereof, a city, a county, and any district or other local authority or public body of or within this State.
v. 
"Public property" means any property owned by a public agency.
w. 
"Residential dwelling unit" means any residential premises designed to house a single family.
x. 
"Single-family residential use" means the use of any developed parcel for any of the following or similar purposes: single-family residences, condominiums and planned unit developments, row houses, halfplexes, duplexes, and mobile homes located on individually owned parcels.
y. 
"Street" means any public highway, road, street, avenue, way, alley or right-of-way.
z. 
"Undeveloped use" means any parcel that has not been altered from its natural state, as evidenced by a complete lack of impervious surface.
aa. 
"Unit service charge (USC)" means the cost of storm drainage services attributable to storm drainage from one square foot of impervious area.
bb. 
"Use code" means the six digit alphanumeric code assigned by the County Assessor's office to every parcel within the County.
cc. 
"User" means the owner of a parcel of real property that is charged for storm drainage services.
dd. 
"Water Agency" means the Sacramento County Water Agency.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995; SCC 1767, 12/9/2025)
a. 
There is hereby levied by the County on all parcels within the boundaries of Zone 12 of the Water Agency, other than those classified as an exempt use, a storm drainage service fee to be calculated as set forth in this section.
b. 
Any parcel classified as a single-family residential use shall pay a monthly charge which shall be calculated as follows: the administrative charge + (USC x 3500 x phase-in multiplier x each residential dwelling unit) = monthly charge.
c. 
All parcels other than those parcels classified as an exempt or single-family residential use shall pay a monthly charge that shall be calculated as follows: the administrative charge + (parcel area x USC x IF x phase-in multiplier) = monthly charge.
d. 
The impervious factors (IF) to be used in the calculation set forth in subdivision (c) herein shall be based on the following table:
Bill category
Impervious Factor
Commercial/Office
0.80
Industrial
0.70
Multi-Family Residential
0.60
Institutional
0.50
Low Impervious Development
0.10
e. 
The phase-in multiplier for all parcels to be used in the calculations in subdivision (b) and (c) herein shall be:
Phase-In Multiplier, effective:
Oct. 1, 1996
Oct. 1, 1997
Oct. 1, 1998
0.50
0.75
1.0
f. 
The unit service charge (USC) to be used in the calculation set forth in subdivision (c) herein shall be as follows: effective October 1, 1996, it shall be $0.001583 per square foot of impervious area.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995; SCC 1026 § 1, 1996; SCC 1046 § 1, 1996)
a. 
There is hereby levied by the County on all parcels within the boundaries of Zone 14 of the Water Agency, other than those classified as exempt use, a storm drainage and, as applicable, stormwater quality service fee ("SWU II Fee") as set forth in this Section. The SWU II Fee, subject to any subsequent inflation-based adjustments, shall be based upon the 2025 " Rate Analysis Report – Stormwater Utility Fee (SWU II)" ("Rate Analysis") adopted by the Board of Supervisors. Zone 14 is established pursuant to Water Agency Resolution WA-3199.
b. 
Parcels subject to the SWU II Fee shall be categorized during the development approval process by the County's Department of Water Resources as either Tier 1 or Tier 2 based upon whether a development will have stormwater quality facilities to be maintained by the County. Tier 1 parcels shall fund the operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of facilities for stormwater management, drainage and flood control ("Drainage Facilities"). Tier 2 parcels shall fund Drainage Facilities and, additionally, maintenance, operations, repair and replacement of Low Impact Design improvements for stormwater quality purposes located on County-owned or controlled property (e.g., right-of-way).
c. 
SWU II Fee amounts for all parcels shall be as set forth in the following Fee Schedule:
Land Use Description
Monthly Tier 1 Fee Per Unit/ Per Acre
Monthly Tier 2 Fee Per Unit/ Per Acre
Agricultural Residential (AR Tots)
$49.93/parcel
$82.63/parcel
RD-1 Single Family Residential Use (43,560 and up sq. ft. RD lots)
$49.93/parcel
$82.63/parcel
RD-2 Single Family Residential Use (20,000 to 43,559 sq. ft. lot)
$45.53/parcel
$75.35/parcel
RD-3 Single Family Residential Use (10,000 to 19,999 sq. ft. lot)
$25.79/parcel
$42.68/parcel
RD-4 Single Family Residential Use (8,500 to 9,999 sq. ft. lot)
$21.20/parcel
$35.09/parcel
RD-5 Single Family Residential Use (5,200 to 8, 499 sq. ft. lot)
$15.76/parcel
$26.08/parcel
RD-7 Single Family Residential Use (4,000 - 5, 99 sq. ft. lot)
$13.18/parcel
$21.81/parcel
RD-8 or higher Single Family Residential Use (3, 999 sq. ft. or less lot)
$8.02/parcel
$13.28/parcel
Multi-Family Residential
$174.75/acre or fraction thereof
$289.19/acre or fraction thereof
Commercial
$224.67/acre or fraction thereof
$371.81/acre or fraction thereof
BP (Business Park)
$224.67/acre or fraction thereof
$371,81/acre or fraction thereof
Industrial
$212.19/acre or fraction thereof
$351.16/acre or fraction thereof
Schools
$124.82/acre or fraction thereof
$206,56/acre or fraction thereof
Mixed use
$124.82/acre or fraction thereof
$206,56/acre or fraction thereof
d. 
Rates applicable to land uses that do not clearly fit within the categories set forth in the above Fee Schedule or any unusual circumstances shall be determined by the Chief of Water Resources or the Chiefs designee.
e. 
Any owner or payor may appeal a SWU II Fee or rate determination pursuant to Section 15.10.100.
f. 
To the extent authorized by law, the SWU II Fee shall apply to non-federal public property that has been significantly developed with impervious surfaces, as determined by the Chief of Water Resources. The applicability of the SWU II Fee to quasi-public and utility uses shall be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Chief or the Chief's designee.
g. 
Sections 15.10.050 through 15.10.090 and Section 15.10.130 of this chapter shall apply to the SWU II Fee.
h. 
The SWU II Fee set forth in the above Fee Schedule shall be subject to an annual automatic adjustment for inflation pursuant to the following: the maximum rate will be increased each subsequent Fiscal Year by the annual change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from December to December, during the preceding year, for All Urban Consumers, for the West Region, published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (or a reasonably equivalent index, as determined by the Director of Water Resources and whose decision shall be final). The Chief of Water Resources or the Chief's designee shall implement and administer the adjustment. Notice of any adjustment for inflation shall be given as provided in subdivision (a)(1) of Government Code section 53755, not less than 30 days before the effective date of the adjustment.
(SCC 1767, 12/9/2025)
There is hereby created in the County Treasury a special revenue fund to be known as the “County Stormwater Utility II (Zone 14) Fee Fund”. All storm drainage service and stormwater quality fee revenue collected by the County from Zone 14 pursuant to Section 15.10.045 shall be deposited in said fund. The revenue deposited in said fund shall be used only for the operation, maintenance, repair and replacement of County storm drainage facilities and stormwater quality improvements.
(SCC 1767, 12/9/2025)
a. 
The owner of any parcel subject to the storm drainage fee, other than parcels classified as a single-family residential use, may file an application with the Chief of Water Resources to have the fee levied on such parcel reduced by means of one of the following mechanisms: (1) by designing, constructing and maintaining at the owner's expense storm drainage detention facilities approved by the Chief of Water Resources; (2) demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Chief of Water Resources that less than 5% of the parcel area drains into a County storm drainage system; or (3) demonstrating to the satisfaction of the Chief of Water Resources that the actual impervious area of the parcel is at least 10% less than that calculated using the impervious factor for the parcel's use classification.
b. 
After receipt and review of the application, the Chief of Water Resources shall either deny any reduction in the fee or approve a reduced fee calculated pursuant to subdivision (c) hereof. The Chief of Water Resources, in approving any reduction in the otherwise applicable fee, may attach reasonable conditions to any such approval. If the applicant is dissatisfied with the action of the Chief of Water Resources, he may file a petition pursuant to Section 15.10.100 hereof.
c. 
Any storm drainage facilities constructed by a parcel owner pursuant to this section shall meet the standards set forth in the County's Improvements Standards. Upon approval of any reduction in the otherwise applicable fee pursuant to this section, the revised fee shall be calculated on the basis of the equivalent contributing parcel area.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995)
a. 
The storm drainage fee shall be billed to all users no less frequently than a bimonthly basis. The bill is due and payable on presentation and shall become delinquent 45 days for bimonthly billing, or 21 days after for a monthly billing after the date of billing. The storm drainage fee shall be billed as part of the County's consolidated utility billing service.
b. 
The storm drainage service fee billing shall be based on the use of the parcel as determined by the Chief of Water Resources. For each parcel of property there shall be only one unit for purposes of billing for storm drainage services. In no case shall a parcel be divided into smaller units for billing purposes.
c. 
The storm drainage service fee shall be billed to the owner of record of the parcel, to the successor in interest of such person, or to such person's single designee if approved by the Chief of Water Resources. All requests to bill a party other than the owner of record must be made in writing to the Chief of Water Resources by both the owner of record and the party to be billed. The Chief of Water Resources may approve or deny such requests at his sole discretion. The Chief of Water Resources shall notify the owner of record if the billing is changed to comply with such a request and the owner of record shall remain liable for any delinquent fees.
d. 
The opening bills shall be based on current parcels numbers, square footage and use codes on record in the County Assessor's office, unless the Chief of Water Resources determines that the actual use of the parcel is different than the use reflected in the use codes in which case the billing shall be based on the actual use of the parcel.
e. 
Any adjustment of charges may be initiated by either the Chief of Water Resources or by the owner of a parcel subject to the storm drainage service fee. If the Chief of Water Resources denies any adjustment proposed by an owner or an owner objects to an adjustment proposed by the Chief of Water Resources, any adjustment shall be made pursuant to the procedure set forth in Section 15.10.100 hereof. Any debit adjustments shall be added to the charge in the succeeding billing period. Any credit adjustments shall first be credited against the previous balance and then any remaining credit shall be applied to subsequent bimonthly charges. No debits or credits shall be made for any period more than three years prior to the date that an adjustment is proposed by the Chief of Water Resources or requested by the owner of record pursuant to Section 15.10.100.
f. 
Any delinquent storm drainage fee shall incur an added penalty charge of 10% of the amount that is delinquent. The delinquent amount, including the 10% penalty charge, shall thereafter incur an added penalty charge of one and one-half percent per month until paid or placed on the annual property tax bill. If collected with property taxes, the total amount delinquent, plus all penalties, shall incur an additional 10% lien penalty.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995; SCC 1214 § 1, 2002)
a. 
The County shall notify the assessee shown on the latest equalized assessment roll whenever delinquent and unpaid fees which would become a lien on the parcel pursuant to subdivision (b) remain delinquent and unpaid for 60 days.
b. 
The storm drainage service fee and any penalties levied pursuant to this chapter shall constitute a lien upon the parcel subject to the fee, as provided for in Health and Safety Code Section 5473.11, if the fee remains delinquent for a period of 60 days and the County has notified the assessee of the parcel shown on the latest equalized assessment roll of the delinquent fees and the lien provided by this section.
c. 
The lien provided herein shall have no force or effect until a certificate specifying the amount of the unpaid fees is recorded with the County Recorder.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995)
The Engineer shall be responsible for the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter. The Engineer shall have the authority to adopt rules and regulations not inconsistent with provisions of this chapter for purposes of carrying out and enforcing the payment, collection and remittance of the fee herein levied.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995)
a. 
Any owner who disputes the amount of the storm drainage service fee charged to his parcel, the classification of the property in terms of its use, any adjustment proposed by the Chief of Water Resources, or any other determination affecting the property made by or on behalf of the County pursuant to this chapter may petition the Engineer for a hearing with regard to any such issue. The Engineer may conduct such hearing himself or may designate an employee of the Public Works Agency to conduct such hearing on his behalf. Any such petition may only be filed once in connection with the issue or issues presented in the petition, except upon a showing of changed circumstances sufficient to justify the filing of such additional petition.
b. 
Any such petition shall be in writing, signed by the owner under penalty of perjury and filed with the Engineer. The petition shall include the following information: (1) a complete description of the factual basis for the appeal; (2) the legal basis for the appeal; and (3) the remedy sought by the appellant. Within 10 days after receipt of the petition, the Engineer shall mail written notice to the appellant of the date, time and place of the scheduled hearing.
c. 
At the hearing, the Engineer or designated Hearing Officer may hear any oral or documentary evidence that the appellant may offer in addition to the information in the petition, together with any oral or written information that may be submitted by County representatives in support of the determination that is the subject of the appeal. Within 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing, the Engineer or the designated Hearing Officer shall make and serve by mail written findings of fact based upon all relevant information presented in the petition or at the hearing, shall make a determination of issues based upon such findings and, if appropriate, an order setting forth an appropriate remedy subject to the limitations set forth in subdivision (e) of Section 15.10.060. The determination of the Engineer or designated Hearing Officer shall be final.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995)
There is hereby created in the County Treasury a special revenue fund to be known as the "County Storm Drainage Service Fee Fund." All storm drainage service fee revenue collected by the County shall be deposited in such fund. The revenue deposited in such fund shall be used only for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, maintenance, and operation of County storm drainage facilities.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995)
Notwithstanding the effective date of this chapter, the storm drainage service fee levied in Section 15.10.040 shall be operative as of July 1, 1995.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995)
If any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this chapter or any part thereof is for any reason held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this chapter or any part thereof. The Board of Supervisors of the County hereby declares that it would have passed each section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause and phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, subdivisions, paragraphs, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared invalid.
(SCC 0985 § 1, 1995)