Stormwater Department

The entire community plays a vital role in keeping our community's waterways clean from potentially harmful pollutants.  Watch the video below to better understand how your day-to-day activities can make a difference.


Stormwater Department Overview

The mission of the Andover Stormwater Department is to maintain and improve our community’s waterways by mitigating the potentially harmful effects of urban development.  In order to accomplish this, the Stormwater Department: (1) maintains compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations related to water resources, (2) reviews proposed new developments and their accompanying erosion control plans and conducts necessary inspections, (3) maintains existing stormwater infrastructure, (4) implements water quality programs and (5) engages the community through participation opportunities and educational initiatives.


Andover’s Stormwater Department was created in December of 2005 in order to comply with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Phase II Rule, an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program, that requires local governmental agencies to obtain a permit and monitor the stormwater runoff in their jurisdictions.  This program was created with the intention of improving the quality of the nation’s waterways by reducing the quantity of pollutants that stormwater picks up and discharges into water bodies.  The EPA requires Phase II owners/operators, like the City of Andover, to reduce pollutants in stormwater to the maximum extent practicable.

In order to ensure compliance with the EPA’s Stormwater Phase II Program, the City’s Stormwater Management Plan includes: 

  • Public Education & Outreach
  • Public Involvement & Participation
  • Illicit Discharge Detection & Elimination
  • Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
  • Post-Construction Stormwater Management
  • Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping
  • Total Maximum Daily Load Testing

Stormwater Utility

Stormwater Utility Overview

Stormwater is the water that flows off of impervious surfaces due to rain and snow. While stormwater is not new, the volume associated with urbanization has increased. As the water travels over impervious surfaces it can pick up harmful chemicals and/or debris. Stormwater goes untreated and enters our rivers and lakes with the hazardous materials it has picked up along its path. Stormwater is a major cause of contamination in our nation’s waterways.

There are two driving factors to stormwater contamination:

  • Poor disposal of environmental contaminants
  • Impervious Surfaces– Any surface composed of material that significantly impedes or prevents natural infiltration of water into the soil. Examples of impervious surfaces include roofs, buildings, streets, parking areas, and any concrete, asphalt or compacted gravel surface

The City of Andover Stormwater Utility provides much of the funding required to maintain the City’s compliance with the EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
 

Basis for Fee

The stormwater utility fee charges properties in Andover based on that property's contribution to the need for stormwater management.  The expected contribution, and associated fee, is based on the property’s class, number of dwellings and total size.

One- & Two- Family Residential

Property Class Property Size Monthly Fee
Class 1 <1 Acre $2.00
Class 2 1-2 Acres $3.00
Class 3 >2-5 Acres $5.00
Class 4 >5 Acres $8.00

Multi-Family Residential & Non-Residential

Property Class Property Size Monthly Fee
Class 1 <1 Acre $20.00
Class 2  >1-2 Acres $30.00
Class 3 >2-5 Acres $50.00
Class 4 >5 Acres $80.00

Where Your Money Goes

The Stormwater Utility provides the funds necessary to provide for the administration, maintenance and improvement of the City’s stormwater systems. Some of the services tied to the stormwater program include:

  • State and Federal regulatory compliance
  • Water quality monitoring of local waterways
  • Capital improvement
  • Public education and outreach
  • Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination Program
  • Construction inspection
  • Routine system inspections