Storm Water Utility

The storm water utility was established by City Council in 1987 to provide funds for maintaining Union’s storm water system. This fund includes cleaning or replacing catch basins, storm sewers and ditches, and capital improvement projects.

Funding for storm water utility
The charge for this utility is a flat-rate fee of $4.00 per month per residential unit, $7.00 per month per commercial business and $10.00 per month per industrial business. The charge is included on the water/sewer utility bill.

Storm sewer reminder
Please remember that storm sewers are solely for collecting runoff from properties and City streets. Dumping of motor oil, gasoline, or other chemicals is prohibited for environmental reasons. Storm sewer flows carry excess water and release it into local streams, creeks, and rivers. Dumping illicit material not only could pollute public waterways but also cause groundwater contamination.

Storm Water Management Plan
The City of Union was required to prepare and submit a Storm Water Management Plan (SWMP) in compliance with new regulations (40 CFR Part 122.32) and Ohio Law. This plan is intended to protect water quality, reduce the amount of storm water discharge after small storms and satisfy requirements of the nation’s Clean Water Act and the Ohio EPA. The EPA Program has six Minimum Control Measures:

1) Public Education and Outreach on Storm Water Impacts
2) Public Involvement/Participation
3) Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
4) Construction Site Storm Water Runoff Control
5) Post- Construction Storm Water Management in New Development and Redevelopment Areas
6) Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations

For item 3, the City of Union has hired Norton Engineering to help examine and document the condition of all its creeks and streams. We are doing pretty well in that regard. The new regulation requires that a report of storm water conditions and activities be submitted each year to Ohio EPA.

EPA has suggested some ways of controlling storm water pollution:

• Keep litter, pet waste, cigarette butts, candy wrappers, leaves and debris out of street gutters and storm drains.
• Dispose properly of used oil, antifreeze, paints and other household chemicals, not in storm sewers or drains.
• Apply lawn and garden chemicals sparingly and according to directions.
• Clean up spilled brake fluid, oil, grease and antifreeze. Do not hose them into the street.
• Purchase household detergents and cleaners that are low in phosphorus.

For more information about storm water issues, check our City of Union Newsletters. See the “Helpful Links” box on this page to see the latest newsletters. 

To provide easy access to all of the storm water articles that have been published in city newsletters over the years, please see the attached link for information and helpful advice on Union’s commitment to storm water management. Storm Water Articles

To report any illegal dumping, please notify the city through the contact page: Contact