Campbell River’s stormwater system is aging and needs to be properly maintained and rehabilitated to ensure our homes, buildings, roads and other community assets are protected from stormwater damage. To support building community resilience to future stormwater impacts, the City is reviewing options for a fair and sustainable funding source to support the City’s current and future stormwater management program.

Residents have always paid for stormwater management through a stormwater parcel tax, which can be found on property tax notices. Through this tax, the amount residents pay is the same, no matter the load each property puts on the City’s stormwater system. This means properties who contribute relatively little stormwater runoff into our City’s stormwater system – such as a small house or café - are charged the same as a property that contributes a lot of runoff – like a large parking lot. We believe we can do better.

The Stormwater Utility Funding Study will assess stormwater rate models that would shift how Campbell River funds its stormwater management system, from a parcel tax to a stormwater user fee based on a property’s load on the City’s stormwater system.

The goal is to create a funding model that will: 

Stormwater rate models being considered would have rates calculated based on the average amount of hard (or impervious) surface on a property. Hard or impervious surfaces, which can easily be measured using aerial photography, typically include roofs, driveways, walkways, parking areas and more.

While residents have always paid into our stormwater management system, this proposed change to a fairer fee may mean how much you contribute could also change. 

Details for the proposed fee change will be reviewed and considered by council prior to implementation. If approved, the amount residential and non-residential properties would pay will vary by property type and the amount of hard or impervious surface different properties have. Please see our project timeline for key project updates. To stay informed, sign up for updates here.

Fast Facts

1. Stormwater is the water from rain, melting snow and ice that washes off driveways, parking lots, roads, yards, rooftops and other surfaces. When rainfall and snowmelt run off these surfaces, stormwater reaches waterways faster, in greater volumes and with more pollution.
2. The City is responsible for managing stormwater within its municipal boundary, a service that includes planning, constructing, inspecting, maintaining and rehabilitating natural and built infrastructure. Many stormwater management assets are buried or located where they cannot easily be seen; this makes stormwater management easy to overlook.
3. The City’s stormwater management system includes over 165 km of storm sewers, 118 km of open ditches, 2,911 maintenance holes, 4,313 catch basins, 42,825 storm service connections, 83 outfalls, 25 stormwater management ponds, 14 km of culverts and more – all requiring a funding source to maintain, renew (when they deteriorate) and upgrade.
4. Ditches, culverts and creeks may not look like City infrastructure, but these are also part of the City’s stormwater management system and receive run-off from properties; they also require regular inspection, cleaning and maintenance to keep them working efficiently. 
5. A stormwater rate reflects a user-pay concept, similar to the City’s water and wastewater rates, where charges are determined based on a property’s water consumption.
6. Property owners have always paid into stormwater management through a storm water parcel tax, where each property is charged an equal amount to cover costs related to storm water management, regardless of how much stormwater runoff their property contributes