Stormwater Utility

The program management service area includes staff in seven sections that manage business operations, capital projects, water quality programs and enforcement of ordinances related to soil erosion, floodplain, stormwater facilities, and watershed regulations for new development. Stormwater Utility employees respond to all customer service inquiries including utility fee questions, drainage complaints, illegal discharges into the drainage system, and soil erosion.

Some of our programs are state and federally mandated programs requiring the City to reduce pollution in Raleigh's waterways. Other programs are in place to address critical flooding and erosion issues that impact streets and private properties.

These programs are funded entirely by the Stormwater Utility fee and are overseen by the Division Head/Program Manager.

The Stormwater capital improvement program includes the design and construction of infrastructure projects including upgrading or replacing drainage systems, improvements to existing lakes, stream restoration and water quality improvements, and planning studies.

The Stormwater maintenance program includes providing storm drain maintenance and street cleaning for sweeping/flushing of approximately 1,050 miles of city streets. This program within the city limits keeps our streets in a safe and usable condition and to promote the general health and cleanliness of the city streets and storm drain systems within the city limits. This program is implemented by the Public Works Department Transportation Field Services Division.

Storm drains are drainage devices that capture stormwater runoff designed to control stormwater and prevent flooding by capturing and transporting water away from urban areas and into the creeks.

The big difference between a storm drain and a sewer drain is water from the sewer (also known as a sanitary sewer) is treated whereas water from the storm drainage system is not. The sewer system and the storm drain system are two completely separate systems. The sewer system takes all household wastewater from toilets, showers and sinks and routes it through a plumbing system into a treatment plant. The storm drainage system routes rainwater off the streets, into the storm drains and into the creeks without being treated.

StormwaterUtilityHelpingU@raleighnc.gov | 919-996-3940