Nevada county weighs stormwater utility fees to fund $141 million in flood projects

Douglas County, Nevada is advancing plans to establish a countywide stormwater utility, with commissioners set to review rate proposals at a May 5 meeting and a possible adoption date of May 28.

The Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution in December 2025 establishing a Stormwater Enterprise Fund, according to the county's official utility establishment page. The April 16 workshop and commissioner meeting marked the next step, with rate consultants presenting proposed fee structures to commissioners and the public.

The goal of the utility is to generate $4.5 million to $7 million annually to fund the county's stormwater department, conservation efforts and capital projects, according to the county. The county's 2024 Stormwater Master Plan identifies 27 capital improvement projects totaling $141 million, led by a $24.3 million dam on Pine Nut Creek above Fish Springs.

Financial Consulting Solutions Group, which the county hired to conduct the rate study, proposed a two-tier structure. All 39,000 units in the county would pay a base rate, with a second tier applying to the roughly 18,500 residential units located outside towns and improvement districts that already maintain their own drainage systems, according to a report by the Record Courier. A single-family home in those areas would pay between $164.86 and $232.58 annually depending on which of three funding scenarios commissioners approve. The base rate alone for a single-family home would range from $95.63 to $144.93.

Nonresidential properties would be charged based on their impervious surface area, with the highest rate for businesses with 59,000 or more square feet of impervious surface ranging from $956.30 to $1,449.30 annually. 

Businesses across the county have received a business impact survey required before any utility rate can be implemented, the county said. The deadline for business comments is April 30, 2026.

Douglas County's 2024 Stormwater Master Plan, prepared by AtkinsRéalis, describes a program that has been largely reactive due to recurring flooding events and a limited budget. The plan warns that continued delays in project implementation put residents at risk and could expose the county to additional litigation from property owners who continue to experience flood damage.