The City of Charleston is making a big change in how it charges residents for stormwater management. Starting soon, people living in the city will no longer see the $11 stormwater fee added to their monthly water bill. Instead, this charge will appear once a year on their property tax bill.
What’s Changing for Residents?
Right now, homeowners and tenants in Charleston pay a flat $11 fee every month as part of their water bill. This fee goes toward stormwater services like cleaning ditches and reducing flooding. But from December 2025 onwards, the city will stop adding this charge to water bills.
Instead, it will be included as a yearly charge on the property tax bill. So if you rent a house or apartment, you won’t see this charge on your monthly water bill anymore. The fee will go directly to the property owner, not the tenant.
Even though the billing method is changing, the amount charged will stay the same. The city is not increasing the fee.
Why the Change is Happening
This change is being made to improve the billing system. According to Matthew Fountain, the Director of Stormwater Management in Charleston, the current partnership with Charleston Water Works has limitations, especially when it comes to reaching all properties.
By moving the fee to the property tax system, the city can now charge properties that were missed earlier—such as empty plots or properties still being developed. This helps the city collect revenue from everyone who should be paying but was not billed earlier.
Fountain explained that this system also helps keep the stormwater fee steady. Unlike property taxes that go up as property values increase, the stormwater fee remains flat and predictable. That means residents won’t see sudden spikes in their bills.
What About Businesses?
For business owners, the stormwater fee will remain the same. However, since more properties are now being captured under the new system, the city expects to collect more money from business properties that had previously slipped through the cracks.
This update aims to make billing fairer for everyone, and at the same time, help the city manage flooding more efficiently by ensuring that all properties contribute.
When Will This Take Effect?
The last monthly stormwater fee will appear on water bills in December 2025. After that, the charge will be moved to the annual property tax bill, making the transition complete.
This change is a practical move that allows the city to modernize its system while keeping costs stable and ensuring everyone pays their fair share.
Charleston’s decision to shift the stormwater fee to property tax bills is designed to improve fairness and efficiency. Renters will no longer see this fee on their monthly water bills, and the city can now include properties that were left out before. The actual amount of the fee remains the same, and no one will pay more just because of this change. It’s a simple update that brings long-term benefits for both residents and the city government.
