A Little Help Explaining the Stormwater Utility Concept

American Rivers has created a toolkit for implementing stormwater utilityies

1 minute read

November 17, 2016, 1:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


No Dumping

Andrea Allen / flickr

In some parts of the country, planners spend most of their time thinking about stormwater—and effective, resilient stormwater systems are one of the primary benefits of the planning profession.

With the critical need of stormwater infrastructure in mind, Katie Rousseau writes a post explaining some of the resources available on the American Rivers website designed to assist public utility managers in advocating for stormwater utilities.

Rousseau starts with a series of questions: "So, what does Joe Public know about stormwater? What should they know? Are communities communicating effectively to the public about stormwater and the fact that they need to collect fees?"

The many answers, varying in complexity, are the reason why American Rivers partnered with Bluestem Communications to develop the Stormwater Utility Communications Toolkit, with assistance for public relations, media relations, social media, and community engagement.

Thursday, November 17, 2016 in American Rivers

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Hot air balloons rise over Downtown Boise with the State Capitol building visible amidst the high rises.

The Five Most-Changed American Cities

A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

April 23, 2025 - GoodMigrations

Conductor walks down platform next to Amtrak train at station in San Jose, California.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement

An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.

47 seconds ago - Streetsblog USA

Aerial view of flooding during Hurricane Helene in North Carolina.

‘Quality Work, Fast’: NC Gears up for Homebuilding After Helene, Trying to Avoid Past Pitfalls

The state will field bids to demolish, repair and rebuild homes in the mountains. After struggles in eastern NC, officials aim to chart a different course.

1 hour ago - NC Newsline

Washington

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing

A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

May 1 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.