Additional Rates

 Indicates other services provided by the utility

Allowance Cost

Customer's cost for an initial volume of water allowed before accumulating additional charges

Allowance Volume

Volume of water allowed before additional charges; covered by the allowance cost

Base Rate

Amount charged for receiving service regardless of water/sewer usage amount

Calculated Cost

The total cost of Base Rate, Allowance Cost, and Consumption Rate for a utility at a set volume for each service type (water, sewer, or combined)

Connection

Point where a water meter indicates a line of service to a customer

Consumption Rate

Costs associated with consumption at a given volume and rate structure

Last Updated

Date of most recent report change

Median Household Income (MHHI)

• Household income: Includes pretax cash income of the householder and all other people 15 years old and older in the household, whether or not they are related to the householder
• Median: The point that divides the household income distribution into halves, one-half with income above the median and the other with income below the median. The median is based on the income distribution of all households, including those with no income

Operating Ratio

Operating revenues divided by operating expenses

Ownership Type

Ownership of the Utility System:

• Community Water System: A public water system that supplies water to the same population of at least 25 people year-round
• Non-Transient Non-Community System: A public water system that regularly supplies water to at least 25 of the same people at least six months per year. Some examples are schools, factories, office buildings, and hospitals which have their own water systems
• Transient Non-Community System: A public water system that provides water in a place such as a gas station or campground where people do not remain for long periods of time 

Planning Region

Group of utilities with common council, plans, and goals to identify management practices appropriate to the resources and users in each region

Primary Source

Primary source of water for the utility system:

• Ground Water: System has a groundwater source not under the direct influence of surface water (ex: protected wells) and no surface water sources
• Ground Water Purchased: System purchases water that originates from a groundwater source not under the direct influence of surface water (ex: protected wells) and no surface water sources
• Ground Water Under the Influence of Surface Water: System has a groundwater source under the direct influence of surface water (ex: unprotected well or springs) and no surface water sources
• Surface Water: System has a surface water source (ex: river, reservoir)
• Surface Water Purchased: System purchases water that originates from a surface water source (ex: river, reservoir) 

Rates Changed

Most recent rate change or effective date reported

Rate Reports

Utility specifics for residential (inside) water and sewer rates as entered in the portal for a given year

Rate Structure

Payment rate structure used to calculate costs for varying levels of water consumption. Often considers number of units used by the consumer:

• Increasing Block: Unit price of each succeeding block of usage is charged at a higher unit rate than the previous blocks
• Decreasing Block: Unit price of each succeeding block of usage is charged at a lower unit rate than the previous blocks
• Increasing/Decreasing Block: Rates increase over an initial range and decrease over subsequent ranges, or vice versa
• Non-Volumetric Flat Fee: One price for all consumers regardless of individual water usage
• Tiered Flat Fees: One price based on water consumption with different tiers of service
• Uniform at One Block’s Rate: Consumer pays one rate per unit, but that rate is determined by their total usage
• Uniform Rate: Constant per unit cost

Reporting Year

Primary reporting year

Seasonal Variation

Indicates a planned change in rate structure usually based on a defined set of months.

Services

• Water: Service that provides clean water
• Sewer: Service that collects and treats wastewater
• Combined: Information for all water and sewer services provided by the utility

Service Population

Estimated population served by the utility

Utility

Public utility system that provides water and/or sewer services

Watershed

Land area that channels rainfall, snowmelt, and runoff into a common body of water (ex: reservoirs, bays)

Stormwater

Rainfall or snowmelt that runs off land surfaces, rooftops, roads, and other areas rather than soaking into the ground. Stormwater can carry pollutants into streams, rivers, and lakes if not managed properly.

Stormwater Utility

A dedicated, fee‑funded program established by a local government or authority to manage stormwater infrastructure, compliance, water quality, and flood control services.

Impervious Areas

Surfaces that do not allow water to infiltrate into the soil. Examples include pavement, rooftops, driveways, and compacted gravel. Impervious areas are a major factor in calculating stormwater fees because it increases runoff volume.

Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU)

A standard measurement of impervious area used to normalize stormwater billing. One ERU represents the average impervious area of a typical single-family home in a community. Nonresidential properties are billed based on how many ERUs they contain.

Square Feet (sq ft)

A unit of area measurement commonly used to quantify the size of impervious areas for stormwater billing. Utilities often measure rooftops, driveways, parking lots, and other impervious features in square feet to calculate stormwater fees.

Parcels

Individual pieces of land defined by a property boundary and assigned a unique parcel identification number (PIN) by the local tax assessor. Parcels are a unit used for stormwater fee assessment, mapping, impervious area calculations, ownership classification, and billing.

Base Fee

A fixed charge assessed to all properties-- often per account-- to cover minimum stormwater program costs. It is separate from fees calculated from impervious areas.

Uniform Fee Structure

A stormwater billing method in which all properties are charged the same cost per unit of impervious area. The rate is constant and proportional to the amount of impervious surface a property has (e.g., a rate per 100 sq ft of impervious area).

Tiered Fee Structure

A stormwater billing approach where properties are grouped into tiers based on impervious area ranges. Each tier has its own stormwater fee based on square footage or parcel size.

Flat Fee Structure

A single fee applied to every parcel or customer, regardless of property size, land use, or impervious area.

Bill Type

The method or mechanism through which stormwater fees are charged to customers (e.g., stand-alone bill, utility bill, or property tax bill).

Stand-Alone Bill

A separate, dedicated bill issued only for stormwater services. It is not combined with other utilities or taxes.

Utility Bill

A bill that combines stormwater fees with other municipal utilities such as water, sewer, trash, or electric services. Stormwater appears as a line item on the utility statement.

Property Tax Bill

A method of collecting stormwater fees by adding them as an assessment or line item on annual property tax statements.

Credit Programs

Programs that allow property owners to reduce their stormwater fees by installing or maintaining stormwater management practices -- such as rain gardens, retention ponds, or permeable pavement -- that lessen runoff or improve water quality.

Government Entity

Describes the governing or operating entity responsible for the stormwater utility

• City – the stormwater system is run by a municipal government.
• County – operated at the county level.
• Consolidated Government – a merged city-county government (e.g., Athens‑Clarke County).
• Authority – an independent or semi‑independent organization formed to operate stormwater or related utilities.

Customer Type

Groups of customers categorized for billing or regulatory purposes: Residential and Nonresidential (commercial, industrial, institutional).

Residential Fees

Stormwater charges applied to single‑family residential properties. Often calculated using a uniform, flat, or tiered method based on ERUs or impervious areas.

Nonresidential Fees

Stormwater fees that are applied to commercial, industrial, institutional, and government properties. Usually calculated directly from the total impervious area (e.g., ERUs x rate).

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)

A publicly owned drainage system -- such as storm drains, ditches, and pipes -- designed to carry stormwater but not wastewater. MS4 operators must comply with EPA stormwater permits to reduce pollution entering waterways. MS4 operators are required to obtain an NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) stormwater permit and develop a Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) to minimize discharge of pollutants.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit

The federal permit system regulating stormwater and pollutant discharges to U.S. waters under the Clean Water Act.

Types of MS4 Permits

MS4 permits fall into two major categories, established under EPA’s stormwater regulations and used by Georgia’s EPD.

1. Phase I MS4 Permits
Who qualifies:
• Large MS4s: Population ≥ 250,000
• Medium MS4s: Population 100,000-249,999
Requirements:
• Individual NPDES permits
• Comprehensive stormwater management programs
• Extensive monitoring and reporting

2. Phase II MS4 Permits (Small MS4s)
Who qualifies:
• Small MS4s in U.S. Census‑defined urban areas with populations ≥ 50,000
• Certain non-traditional MS4s: universities, DOTs, prisons, hospitals
Coverage:
• Usually under statewide general permits
• Less extensive than Phase I, but still requires SWMP with minimum control measures