The City of Orem is unique among Wasatch Front municipalities in terms of how storm water is managed within the City limits. Rather than a traditional storm water system which consists of piping, detention and conveyance structures, a significant portion of the City’s storm water system consists of hundreds of dry sumps which are located on both private and public property throughout the City. During storm events, much of the City’s runoff is diverted into these dry sumps and infiltrated into the ground water system. The majority of these sumps are owned privately. Generally, storm water flow into sumps is not pretreated for the removal of pollutants, nor is the storm water effluent monitored for potential contaminants.

On May 14, 1996, the Orem City Council passed an ordinance that created a Storm Sewer Utility for the City. On May 26, 1996, the City Council passed a resolution that allows the Storm Sewer Utility to give water quality credits, which reduces the monthly bill, for any non-single family resident that qualifies for the credit. To qualify for the credit, a business may install a structure or device that reduces or eliminates pollutants from its storm water runoff before it enters a dry well (sump), irrigation ditch, city storm drain, or waters of the State of Utah.

The City of Orem selected Hansen, Allen & Luce, Inc. to assist them in identifying pollutants which may potentially be present in storm water runoff, developing a list of Best Management Practices (BMPs) which could be implemented to reduce the amount of pollutants entering the storm drainage system, and to assist the City in developing a fee credit program for businesses which implement storm water pollution control measures. HA&L was subsequently authorized by the City of Orem on August 23, 1996 to complete the storm water runoff pollution and control study. The storm water credit program is the result of that effort.

The purpose of the storm water credit program is to recognize the efforts of businesses in reducing and/or eliminating storm water pollution by granting storm water quality credits, which reduces the monthly bill, for any non-single family resident that qualifies for the credit. To qualify for the credit, a business must implement source and/or treatment controls that reduce or eliminate pollutants from its storm water runoff before it enters a dry well (sump), irrigation ditch, city storm drain, or waters of the State of Utah. Storm water credits will not be granted for use of storm water sumps.

The Storm Water Quality Credit Package will be your guide to applying for and renewing storm water credit.