Savannah, Georgia’s new stormwater utility fee will appear on customer bills starting Sept. 1, months after the city council approved the fee and service delivery plan in a 5-4 vote on Jan. 22.

The fee is based on the amount of impervious surface on a property, such as roofs, driveways and parking lots, which the city says correlates to how much stormwater runoff a property generates and the demand that runoff places on the drainage system, according to the city's Stormwater Utility page. The city determines impervious surface area using GIS mapping, aerial imagery and parcel data.

The fee is expected to generate about $8 million annually to fund stormwater projects to reduce flooding, the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce said in a news release.

"Our Chamber members understand the need to improve Savannah’s stormwater management infrastructure, especially following the significant flooding events our community experienced last summer," Chamber President and CEO Bert Brantley, said in the release. "However, many business owners and residents are already struggling with rising costs. That is why we asked the City Council to consider an equivalent rollback of the city’s millage rate to help offset the increase in monthly water bills."

The first draft of the City’s budget proposes holding the millage rate steady, not a reduction, the release said. A final decision is expected in mid-August.

Revenue from the fee is restricted to drainage and stormwater management activities, including system maintenance, infrastructure upgrades and prioritized drainage projects.

Property owners may apply for credits that lower their monthly charge if they have installed stormwater management features such as rain barrels, rain gardens or retention ponds. A full list of eligible credits is outlined in the city's Stormwater Credit Manual.