Stormwater
Stormwater Master Plan
This City has developed and adopted a 20-year Stormwater Management Master Plan that identifies conditions , constraints , opportunities and resources needed to manage the City ’ s stormwater system in a safe , compliant and sustainable manner .
The plan identified watersheds , inventories , current operations and maintenance services ; provided recommendations for potential operational and maintenance service enhancements ; and prioritized projects identified by previous hydraulic studies that will improve flood protection and water quality . Estimated costs for potential enhanced services and improvement projects were provided for review and consideration by the City Council .
The total estimated cost for all proposed improvements is approximately $ 200 million . These costs have also been considered in a stormwater rate study . As a separate effort , a consultant assisted and guided staff and City Council in identifying potential funding sources to support the Council ’ s desired stormwater program . As a result , City Council elected to increase the Stormwater Fee by $ 5 per household to assist with covering these costs . In addition , an education campaign has been launched to better educate residents on the City ’ s stormwater system .
The City of Port St . Lucie ’ s Stormwater Utility is crucial for preventing flooding and also helping keep polluted water from entering our local waterways , including the St . Lucie River . The City ’ s Stormwater Utility enterprise fund earns revenues from an annual fee charged to all property owners for the purpose of maintaining and enhancing the City ’ s stormwater system . This includes reshaping the swale drainage system , and in some areas , a plastic liner is installed to aid the flow of stormwater , mowing and cleaning of the liner system , canals , ditches and greenbelt areas .
When working properly and without obstruction , the stormwater drainage system prevents flooding of roadways , buildings and parking lots . Throughout the City , there are different types of storm inlets but they all have the same purpose : to collect stormwater and direct it into a storm system that is underground . This storm system then transfers the runoff to a canal or lake , eventually leading to the river , which is why it is important to remove or prevent pollutants from entering the system . The City of Port St . Lucie has an ongoing water-quality testing program that samples the outfalls of our drainage canals into the North Fork of the St . Lucie River .
www . cityofpsl . com / swale
8 Water Quality Initiatives | City of Port St . Lucie