La Crosse, Wis., Plans for Compliance

In order to comply with federal water quality standards, the city of La Crosse, Wis., will need to invest approximately $10 million in storm water management by 2013, a private consultant told city officials. Another $20 million to $30 million may need to be spent to address the city's chronic flooding problems, said Kurt Schoen, a consultant for Earth Tech.

La Crosse's storm water contains about 1,159 tons of total suspended solids annually; that number must be reduced by 40 percent over the next five years. To date, the city has achieved about a 14 percent reduction and will need to invest about $2 million each year through March 2013 in order to keep compliant, Schoen said.

Public Works Director Dale Hexom intends to ask the city next month to consider conducting a storm water utility study. A utility could help raise money to help pay for water quality and quantity improvements by assessing a fee on individual land parcels.

"The DNR [Department of Natural Resources] does not mandate that you have a storm water utility," Schoen said. "It's a local policy decision. How aggressive do you want to be? Where do you want to get the revenue from?"

In La Crosse, a $102,000 home comprising about 2,841 sq ft of impervious surface would pay $47 a year if a storm water utility fee is implemented. A car dealership with 117,136 sq ft of impervious surface would be charged $1,927.

The implementation of storm water best management practices such as rain gardens, however, could help property owners lower their fees. "The whole purpose isn't to penalize people," said Councilman Doug Farmer. "It's to encourage them to minimize their runoff."

Source: La Crosse Tribune