Chesapeake, VA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Chesapeake created a stormwater utility under Sec. 26-370, operated by the director of public works, to finance drainage infrastructure, studies, regulation and repairs, funded through a dedicated enterprise fund under Sec. 26-371. Sec. 35 ERU rate multiplied by its total impervious area divided by 2,112 square feet, with a one-ERU minimum. Undeveloped land is exempt, and Sec. 26-375 exempts agricultural land used for tilling, planting or harvesting crops, city, state and locally maintained road rights-of-way, and property covered by its own MS4 discharge permit, though a residence sitting on exempt agricultural land is still billed the standard residential rate.

Bills go out biannually under Sec. 26-373 and are due within 30 days; unpaid balances accrue interest at the judgment rate and become a lien on the property on par with unpaid real estate taxes, collected by the city treasurer. Property owners who install their own detention or other best-management practices can petition the director of public works for a partial credit under Sec. 26-374, though the fee can never drop below the one-ERU rate, and any denial of a credit or fee-adjustment request can be appealed to the stormwater committee under Sec. 26-377 within 30 days for a $25 filing fee.