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Residential developed properties $139.80 per year ($11.65 per month on utility bill).

Residential undeveloped properties $95.35 per year.

Larger parcels the fee is based on the size of the parcel, impervious area and pervious area.

PDF Ordinance 2011-1 PDF Resolution 2011-18 PDF Final Report PDF Stormwater Service Area Questions Concerning Your Stormwater Bill? Contact Customer Service 386-986-2360

The swale in front of your home (the 'ditch' that runs across the front of your property) is designed for these purposes:

1. To hold stormwater when it can no longer soak into the ground
2. To direct runoff from residential streets and main roads to a local water body
3. To maintain a dry roadbed
4. To filter the runoff and reduce pollutants

It is extremely important to continue regular swale maintenance to minimize flooding. Swales were conceived to run from property to property, creating a stream that flows first to cross ditches and then to larger bodies of water. Blockages can keep the system from progressing. Here are some important steps you can follow for routine swale maintenance:

1. Mow and maintain your swale at an acceptable grass height. Tall grass slows water movement.
2. Blow grass clippings back onto grass or landscape areas
3. Keep your driveway culvert open.
4. Remove trash, leaves, limbs and grass from your swale and culvert opening.
5. Minimize use of fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides within 50 feet of a swale.
6. Install plants/landscaping at least 15-20 feet from the road; they still add beauty, but leave the swale functional.
7. Don't fill in your swale.
8. Don't park on or drive across your swale. Cars and their tire tracks block the water flow.
9. Don't do anything to cause the side slopes of your swale to erode.

Gaining Ground on Swales

At the very heart of the matter lies the City's persistent determination to perform routine swale maintenance and to re-grade miles of swales. "Our goal is to sustain the City's original swale design so that it functions in the way it was built to perform," says John Moden, City Director of Engineering & Stormwater Depts. "Palm Coast has a very good drainage system with an above average design."

Swales were conceived to run from property to property, creating a stream that flows first to cross ditches and then to larger bodies of water. Blockages may occur over time when soil or vegetation fills the swales or when developers build new homes and don't follow neighboring property grades.

To counteract these issues, the City's Public Works Department performs several tasks to keep swales operating properly. A new six month rotation maintenance program has been effective. The stormwater crews perform maintenance two times per year throughout the City in all the neighborhoods. In conjunction with the routine swale maintenance, we mow 150 miles of ditches and spot spray with herbicides to retard re-growth of specific vegitation.

As new homes are built, the City requires developers to build swales set forth in the original 30-year-old site plan. Builders must procure elevation plans for each swale. City survey technicians travel to each property to gather information on the proper elevation and engineering technicians help design a swale elevation that will coincide with the grading of homes on either side. The City is making every effort to eliminate grading problems by identifying potential challenges and formatting plans with builders and neighbors during the actual construction process.