Stormwater
The mission of the Stormwater Utility Section is to manage stormwater services (drainage and water quality) to the public, while maintaining an equitable rate structure.
The Stormwater Utility Section designs, reviews, constructs and maintains the City of Madison storm sewer system, which includes over 500 miles of pipe and open channel systems used for flood control and runoff water quality improvement. Specific parts of the system include:
- Pipes, drains, greenways and inlets for stormwater collection
- Ponds, rain gardens, greenways, and catch basins for water quality improvement
- Flood control/modeling (View our Watershed Study Flood Risk Map)
- Maintenance of existing storm sewer system
- Permitting, construction of ponds, greenways, shorelines and rain gardens
- Street sweeping
- Leaf collection and performance of leaf studies
- Erosion control permitting
- Neighborhood planning process, pertaining to stormwater and water quality
- Private development review pertaining to stormwater water quality
- Design of both new and replacement storm sewer infrastructure
- Provides guidance on rain garden construction through Roger Bannerman Rain Garden Program
- Leads City and County effort to reduce salt use
- Retrieving lost items and wildlife from drains
Stormwater Fast Facts
- Over 500 miles of storm water pipe
- Over 26,000 storm water utility owned storm water inlets
- 634 rain gardens
- 150 Adopt-A-Medians
- ~ 300 Ponds on stormwater utility owned land
- 3 completed public streets with pervious pavement, and sidewalk (two (2) streets planned for 2022)
- 1500 linear feet of pervious sidewalk
- Over 1,500 acres owned by the stormwater utility and additional 500 acres of public/private regional stormwater treatment and conveyance via agreements, easements, or other documents