Listed below are descriptions of the various programs your Stormwater Utility fees fund. You will see that your fees fund much more than just new storm drains!

• Management of Stormwater Utility Program 
  Involves managing the entire accounting system that tracks stormwater utility fees received from residents and businesses. Accountants and support staff are needed to track the fees that come in, and ensure the projects and activities that use this source of funding are legitimate, and the money is being used consistent with state and local Codes.  Activities in this section include matching accounts from the Water And Sewer Department (WASD) with the Utility, collections for delinquent accounts, billing those residents not in the WASD system, inspections of commercial businesses to confirm proper billing, and customer service.
• Drainage System Maintenance
  Involves storm drain cleaning, mowing of County swale areas, and jet vacuuming clogged drainage systems.
• Canal Maintenance
  Includes bank mowing, removal of aquatic weeds through biological or chemical treatment, cleaning culverts, removing obstructions in canals, on an emergency basis after storms or as complaints are received.
• Flood Inspections
  A re conducted during rain events to document flooding problems in Miami-Dade County.  Inspections are based on citizen complaints, and on referrals from County engineers and Public Works employees.  The inspections are used to prioritize the various drainage projects being designed for construction by County staff.
• Creation and Implementation of a Stormwater Management Master Plan 
  Is a comprehensive effort to map out the entire county to assess its drainage needs.  The entire County is divided into drainage basins,  and these basins are then modeled to see what the drainage needs are now, and what the future drainage needs of the area will be, based on land use.  By mapping out these areas in advance, the County will ensure that all new development will include a proper level of service for the drainage needs of that area.  This effort involves surveyors, draftsmen and engineers to perform modeling, and to design the proper drainage retrofit projects to be constructed.
• Design and Construction of Capital Improvement Projects
  Requires that engineers use proven methods to design drainage systems that will provide flood protection, and add water quality improvements to the system, to reduce pollution found in stormwater runoff.  Engineers in this section of the Water Management Division review the designs of private developers, and also create their own designs for the County drainage retrofit systems being constructed.
• Funding local match for FEMA-funded flood mitigation projects
  Including dredging of secondary canals, drainage retrofits, and drain cleaning in Miami-Dade County.  Federal clean-up and recovery funds were available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) after two flood events, Hurricane Irene and the No-name storm of October 2000. However, these funds require a local match, which is being covered by Stormwater Utility fees.  This has enabled the County to provide major improvements to the drainage systems throughout the County.
• Participation in committees
  Such as the Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS), that aid in disaster recovery.  The LMS is a community-wide group that assesses the community’s potential vulnerabilities in the event of a disaster, and develops activities or projects that would reduce those vulnerabilities.  If a disaster does occur, the LMS has ready lists of related projects the community can implement to prevent or reduce damages from a similar disaster.  This list helps in getting relief grants from the federal government and other grant sources.  Participation in the LMS helps communities receive resources they need to recover faster from any type of disaster that may occur.
• Compliance with National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations
  Involves regulating elevations of new homes and businesses, making flood zone information available to the public, creating and sending informational brochures to the public twice per year, enforcement of Chapter 11C of the County Code, plan reviews for floodplain management, and inspections of sites that require certain floodplain-related conditions, or could be causing flood impacts to other residents.
• Management of Community Rating System (CRS) program Involves managing and documenting activities that the County performs that gain points under the CRS Program.  This voluntary program is an offshoot of the NFIP, and rewards communities that improve their flood protection activities with flood insurance discounts for its residents. Miami-Dade County residents currently enjoy a 20% discount on flood insurance policies through the various activities documented.  These savings represent an average of $70.00 per year per residential flood insurance policy.  The Program requires management, tracking of activities and documentation of new activities, and annual re-certification, which is provided by staff of the Water Management Division.
• Compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit
  Involves activities that include creating and monitoring various stormwater management programs throughout the County, conducting canal and other surface water sampling near outfalls on a regular basis, enforcing stormwater management regulations, and issuing violation notices to those who dump into storm drains.
• Drainage Permitting
  Involves the regulatory review for approval or disapproval of drainage systems provided with new construction.  New construction in Miami-Dade County must include provisions to manage stormwater runoff, both to increase flood protection and to reduce pollution in stormwater runoff.  Engineers in this section must review plans to ensure minimum drainage standards are met, and permits required under Chapter 24 of the Code of Miami-Dade County are complied with.