As Environmental Services begins applying its new stormwater rate structure, multifamily, mixed-use, commercial, industrial, and other non-residential customers will continue to see the measured impervious area on their bills. However, the charge will now be labeled stormwater billable area.
Despite the new name for the charge, the measurement has not changed. Current measurements are the results of historical data or the bureau’s Measure/Re-measure Program that was launched in 2016.
How to request a review of the stormwater billable area printed on your bill
NOTE: If you are a single-family residential property, then please use this process to file a request to change your stormwater billable area category.
For multifamily with 5 or more dwelling units, commercial, industrial, or other non-residential customers, you can submit a request to have your property measured/re-measured by calling our customer service team at 503-823-7770 or emailing PWBCustomerService@portlandoregon.gov. You will need to provide the following information:
- Account number
- Property address and, if available, Property ID number.
Find the Property ID number on Portlandmaps.com. Start by entering the property address in the search field. Scroll down to find Assessor Detail button in the Assessor tab. In the Assessor Details, you will see the Property ID field:
- The stormwater billable area (SBA) printed on the property’s bill
- An estimate of actual stormwater billable area (see ENB-4.09)
- Any documentation you may have supporting your SBA estimate such as permits, maps, or GIS files
- Contact information, including your full name, phone number, email, and mailing address (if different from the property address). Please note: Providing an email with all the needed information will ensure the quickest response.
What to expect after your property is measured/re-measured
Thanks to our Measure/Re-measure program, most of our customers are accurately billed for stormwater services. If we find a significant change or error, BES will issue an email or letter indicating what the previous stormwater billable area was and what the newly measured stormwater billable area that will replace it in the account.
If you request a remeasure and we find no change, then you’ll receive notification confirming that we’ve completed the measure/re-measure process and that there will be no change to your stormwater billable area.
The History of Measure/Re-measure
In 2016, Environmental Services started the Measure/Re-measure Program to identify multifamily, commercial, industrial, and other non-residential properties that had not been assessed stormwater charges or ones that may have been under-billed or over-billed as the result of inadequate information regarding the property’s measured impervious area. Advancements in technology and mapping software allowed Environmental Services to more accurately measure a property’s characteristics resulting in more accurate data and billing. Since then, we have measure/re-measured thousands of multifamily, industrial, commercial, and other non-residential types of properties.
Find ways to save through Clean River Rewards
Clean River Rewards is Portland’s stormwater discount program. With Clean River Rewards, customers can save up to 35% of their stormwater charges by adding stormwater management features to their property. Learn more about the many ways to manage rain on your property and then sign up to save through Clean River Rewards.