The Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality requires management of Stormwater runoff quality through six areas of focus: public education, public involvement, illicit discharge detection and elimination, construction, post-construction and municipal operations. When permits were first issued in 2007, the permitted communities went through an extensive process with nationally recognized consultants, public meetings, and local agencies to determine the most cost-effective manner to implement the permit requirements. At the end of the process it was decided that jointly running the Stormwater quality program through a single entity would be most cost effective, and RVSS was selected to run the program. RVSS now holds the permit and manages the program for the cities of Phoenix, Talent, and unincorporated, urbanized Jackson County.
In order to run these programs, RVSS collects a modest fee of $1 per month for each single family home and $1 per month per 3,000 square feet of impervious surface for all others (multi-family housing, commercial, mobile home parks, schools, etc.). Total Stormwater fees on your utility bill may be greater than $1 as individual cities add their own fees to the bill. The cities and county are responsible for maintaining Stormwater drainage and infrastructure within their jurisdiction and may use the additional fees to cover these expenses. We all contribute to funding this program because we all use the roads, buildings, parking lots and sidewalks that cause Stormwater runoff.