Stormwater Management

In 1993, a Stormwater Task Force was formed to find solutions to decades of flooding problems in Lawrence. After several years of planning, the City Commission established this fee to provide funding for maintenance and improvements to the storm sewer system.

All parcels of land in Lawrence are subject to this fee, including City and other tax-exempt properties. If you are the only customer associated with a property, then you should be charged a fee. If there are multiple customers associated with a property, then you may or may not be charged a fee, depending on the billing established for the property.

Fees are based on the area of impervious surface on the property. The amount charged is determined by multiplying the number of Equivalent Residential Units (ERU) by the current rate.For billing purposes, the area of impervious surface is the area of ground covered by roofs, concrete or asphalt.ERU is the area of impervious surface on an average single-family residential property. In Lawrence, this is determined to be 2,366 square feet. The number of ERUs assigned to a commercial property should be the total impervious surface divided by 2,366.Total impervious surface is not known for every residential property; therefore the number of ERUs is based on building footprints. Additional information is located on the Utility Billing Rates page.

The monthly charge per ERU is located on the Utility Billing Rates page.

The City does not regulate grading on single-family residential properties unless the area is in a drainage easement. If a neighbor has created a dam that impacts your property, you should ask the property owner to correct the situation.If a neighbor has directed drainage onto your property, you should ask the property owner to correct the situation. However, it’s important to recognize the prevailing drainage patterns. If you are directly downhill, then your neighbor may not have many options. The best solution may involve working together to direct drainage in a way that minimizes adverse impacts.If the property owner refuses to correct a situation causing drainage damage on your property, your next course of action could be a civil suit. If you have damages, the property owner may be held responsible.Often these situations require cooperation among several property owners. Difficult drainage problems may even require professional help. Engineering advice is available from the Stormwater Engineer, Matt Bond.

First, determine where the water is entering the building. If it’s coming up through a floor drain, you’re probably experiencing flooding of the sanitary sewer, and you should contact the Municipal Services & Operations Department at (785) 832-7800. Sanitary sewers are often overloaded during storms. The Municipal Services & Operations Department may be able to check the sewers for obstructions.

If water is flooding from a working sump pump, you probably have problems with the grading around your house. All areas of your yard should slope away from the building. The sump pump discharge line should be as short as possible but should discharge well away from the building. If these precautions are taken and you still have a problem, you are probably experiencing groundwater flow. A second sump pump and backup power may be necessary to keep up with the water.

If the water is entering the basement through windows or doors, you have a true stormwater flooding problem. If the runoff comes from your yard only, you need to correct the grading of your yard to direct water away. If the runoff enters your property from other properties or the street, there’s a good chance your location is already identified for future improvements. Contact Matt Bond, for specific information.

Drainage easements are usually platted with subdivisions, however, they may also be granted individually. All plats and easements must be recorded with the Douglas County Register of Deeds. The City also keeps digital records of drainage easements.

City Code specifically prohibits any obstruction in a drainage easement. Obstructions include man-made barriers such as fences, sheds, firewood and debris, and natural barriers such as trees and brush. If the City determines that a barrier is in fact an obstruction, a violation notice will be issued with instructions to remove the barrier.Drainage easements are platted to provide a path for stormwater runoff, either on the ground or in a buried system. Property owners are responsible for maintenance on their property to keep drainage easements clear. No grading or construction of any kind may occur in a drainage easement without specific approval from the City.

Fences do not require a permit from the City, so chances are that the City has not reviewed the location and it is not ok. As the property owner, you will bear the cost of fence removal once a violation notice is issued. There are a few rare cases where the City has determined that a barrier in a drainage easement is not an obstruction. The City should have previously issued a letter to document the location.

Repair requests can be made through the City’s online reporting app, Lawrence Listens. You can also contact Municipal Services & Operations Customer Service at 785-832-7800 to request a field inspection. If the structure is a public storm drain, it will be added to the repair list.

This is possibly a sinkhole that formed over the top of a buried storm sewer pipe. Requests can be made through the City’s online reporting app, Lawrence Listens. You can also contact Municipal Services & Operations Customer Service at 785-832-7800.

Requests can be made through the City’s online reporting app, Lawrence Listens. You can also contact Municipal Services & Operations Customer Service at 785-832-7800.

You have two choices. You can either pay the City to install the additional culvert or you can obtain plan approval from the City and pay a private contractor to do the work. Culverts installed without City approval will not be maintained and may be removed by the City. Contact Municipal Services & Operations at 785-832-7800 to request a field inspection and more information.

All stormwater runoff eventually enters the river. Along the way it may flow along curbs, into storm drains, through pipes, into ditches, and into streams. The City storm system discharges to the river system at dozens of locations.

Streets are part of our City’s stormwater drainage system. Leaves, grass clippings and other yard waste left along the curb can enter storm drains, increasing the risk of localized flooding and adds pollutants to the receiving streams and rivers. It is against City Code 9-902(A)(1) to put yard waste in the street. This section of the City Code reads “No person shall release or cause to be released into the storm drainage system any discharge that is not composed entirely of uncontaminated stormwater, except as allowed in Section 9-902(B). Common stormwater contaminants include trash, yard waste, lawn chemicals, pet waste, wastewater, oil, petroleum products, cleaning products, paint products, hazardous waste and sediment.” In addition to this, the City is regulated by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) through our Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. Under the guidelines of this permit the City is required to keep pollutants out of waters of the United States. Our MS4 permit is required under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) which was enacted in 1972 and defines what the EPA considers to be a water of the United States.

More Information

• City of Lawrence Code, Chapter 9, Article 9
• KDHE Information about MS4 permits
• EPA NPDES information relating to municipal stormwater

Urban areas produce high concentrations of pollutants that are carried to the river by stormwater runoff. Examples include:

• Vehicles (oil, gas, antifreeze, heavy metals, salt and litter)
• Homes and businesses (fertilizers, pesticides, pet waste, yard waste, chemicals, trash and debris)
• Construction sites (soil sediment, trash and debris)

These pollutants are washed into the drainage system and discharged to our streams and rivers. This changes the physical, biological and chemical composition of the water, resulting in an unhealthy environment for aquatic organisms, wildlife and humans. Sediment and debris can also lead to increased flooding.

Everything that winds up on the ground is likely to enter the drainage system. Our individual choices play a huge role in how much pollution we generate. Starting at your doorstep, think of everything that you do that adds pollution to stormwater, and then try to think of solutions. Here are some easy examples:

• Don’t litter.
• Contain your curbside trash so that it won’t leak, fall over or blow around.
• Take a walk to pick up litter and debris before it rains.
• Sweep your garage and driveway into a dustpan rather than into the street.
• Don’t pitch cigarettes out the car window.
• Repair vehicle or equipment leaks.
• Wash your car in the grass or in a covered carwash station.
• Take all of your unwanted paint, chemicals, cleaners, fuels, pesticides and hazardous waste to the Lawrence/Douglas County Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
• If you choose to use lawn chemicals, don’t over-apply.
• Don’t over-water your lawn.
• Clean up after your pet before it rains.
• Don’t dump anything except water into a storm drain.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, “An illicit discharge is defined as any discharge to a municipal separate storm sewer system that is not composed entirely of stormwater”. City of Lawrence Code 9-902 A(1) lists common stormwater contaminants as “trash, yard waste, lawn chemicals, pet waste, wastewater, oil, petroleum products, cleaning products, paint products, hazardous waste and sediment.”For more information on stormwater pollution and managing waste materials, call the Municipal Services & Operations Department at 785-832-7800.