Chapel Hill, NC Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Chapel Hill Code §§ 23-1 to 23-9
- Rate unit
- 1 ERU = 1,000 sq ft impervious surface
- Exemption
- No charge under 200 sq ft impervious surface
- Bill due date
- September 1 annually
- Delinquency penalty
- 2% in January, 0.75% each month after
- Appeal deadline
- 90 days, written, to stormwater manager
Summary
The Town of Chapel Hill funds its stormwater management program through a dedicated utility fee charged to every zoning lot and tract under Sections 23-1 through 23-9 of the Town Code. The fee is based on impervious surface area, billed annually each September, with credits, exemptions, appeals and delinquency penalties spelled out in the ordinance.
Sec. 23-2. - Purpose. This article establishes a stormwater management utility as an identified fiscal and accounting fund for the purpose of comprehensively addressing the stormwater management needs of the town through programs designed to protect and manage water quality and quantity by controlling the level of pollutants in stormwater runoff, and the quantity and rate of stormwater received and conveyed by structural and natural stormwater and drainage systems of all types. ... ... Sec. 23-6. - Impervious service area and equivalent rate unit. ... (b)Based on an analysis by the town of impervious surface area on properties throughout the town, an impervious surface area of one thousand (1,000) square feet shall be designated as one (1) equivalent rate unit (ERU). ... ... Sec. 23-7. - Schedule of fees and charges. ... (1)The person who is the owner of record on January 1 of each year of each zoning lots and tracts within the corporate limits of the town, shall be billed one (1) equivalent rate unit for each one thousand (1,000) square feet or fraction thereof of impervious surface area on the subject zoning lot or tract, except as noted in section 23-8, below.
Full Breakdown
Chapel Hill Town Council created the stormwater management utility as a separate enterprise fund under Section 23-2, acting on authority the council finds in North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 160A, Article 16, and Section 160A-314, as recited in Section 23-1. Every zoning lot or tract in town, including annexed land, is charged based on impervious surface area under Section 23-6, where one thousand (1,000) square feet of impervious surface equals one equivalent rate unit (ERU); properties with fewer than two hundred (200) square feet of impervious surface pay nothing under Section 23-7(b).
The property owner of record on January 1 of each year is billed one ERU per 1,000 square feet or fraction thereof, and the per-ERU rate is set annually by the town council in the budget ordinance. Townhouse, condominium and similar developments can request one of several billing arrangements, consolidated, shared or proportional, under Section 23-8(c). Bills come due September 1 and become delinquent if unpaid by January 5 of the following year, at which point Section 23-8(e) adds a delinquent payment penalty of two percent for January and three-fourths (¾) of one percent for each month after.
A customer disputing a bill or penalty must file a written appeal within ninety (90) days with the town's stormwater manager, with further appeal available to the town manager, under Section 23-8(f). The utility also administers credits against the service charge for on-site or off-site mitigation systems under Section 23-3, capped so credits never exceed the charge itself.
Violations & Fines
Missing the January 5 delinquency deadline adds a two percent penalty for January and three-fourths of one percent for every month after, compounding under Section 23-8(e). The town manager may exercise discretion to relieve penalties for billing errors or address changes. Disputed bills must be appealed in writing within ninety days to the stormwater manager, and administrative remedies under Chapter 23 must be exhausted before any court action, per Section 23-8(g).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to pay Chapel Hill's stormwater fee?
How is the Chapel Hill stormwater charge calculated?
What happens if I don't pay my Chapel Hill stormwater bill on time?
Sources & Official References
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