THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 1, 1994 TAG: 9406300210
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By PATRICIA HUANG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink.
That's what cities like Virginia Beach fear will happen without programs like their newly implemented Storm Water Management System to monitor the city's water quality and control flooding.
But maintenance and controlled water pollution takes dredging, cleaning, testing, digging, and monitoring, said public works official Phil Davenport, and ``all of those requirements take big, big dollars.''
Which is why the city's utility fee for Storm Water Management will be reaching mailboxes by as early as this holiday weekend. Last year, the city's quarterly bill was sent to Virginia Beach residents and business owners for the first time, meeting much confusion and resistance.
The idea is to provide proper drainage for rainwater to avoid flooded streets and to filter the pollutants such as fertilizer chemicals, car fluids and pesticides that are often sent into the drainage system and kill aquatic life.
Most single family homeowners and duplex owners will receive quarterly bills of $8.22 but they can pay the yearly total - $32.88 - all at once if they prefer. Most business owners with larger properties are charged varying rates to pay for the stormwater program.
``Prior to the utility fee, we were not really monitoring the water,'' Davenport said. ``As part of the national permit of the Clean Water Act we have a certain schedule.''
The fee, which is expected to raise about $5.3 million a year, will also be used for any capital improvement projects as well as regular maintenance of the pipes, canals and lakes. More regular testing will be conducted of local water which flows through pipes to reach rivers, bays and eventually the ocean.
And how much cleaner will our water be?
``I don't know that we can answer that for a while,'' Davenport said. ``There are many reasons why one water sample may be cleaner than another. We need to take many samples over time . . . Now we are doing more monitoring and we can make those determinations.''
But some residents and City Council members balk at the fee, saying it is inefficient and grossly misleading.
``It's smoke and mirrors,'' said Councilman John Moss, who opposes the fee. ``It's another way to nickel and dime people to death.''
Although the City Council voted for the fee in 1992, some council members like Moss aren't convinced that the public works department is doing enough in the way of water pollution control to merit the fee.
``Let's re-prioritize,'' Moss said. ``If we're dealing with flood control then that's the government's mission . . . that should come from taxes . . . The ball is in the peoples' court now to put pressure on the council to say that this is a dumb, dumb fee.''
Councilman Robert Dean said the lack of improvement in Lake Trashmore is discouraging to him. Referring to what he sees as discrepancies in the flat fee for most residents, Dean calls it a ``very unfair rain tax.''
``How does digging a ditch stop rainwater pollution?'' he asked. ``That just doesn't wash with me. If you have not established a threshold for improvement . . . how can you tell if the water is getting better?'' ILLUSTRATION: TIPS FOR CLEAN WATER
Pick up animal waste and litter before they wash away. Pet wastes
should be buried or placed in an air tight container in your trash
can.
Never dump leaves or grass in or near storm drains, gutters, or
bodies of water. Make a compost pile for refuse or bag yard debris
for recycling.
Use biodegradable products
Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly. Delay using if rain is
forecast and be sure to choose the least toxic products.
If you have questions about the storm water management program or
the utility fee, contact the storm-water utility customer service
office at 426-5859.
by CNB