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Your City of Portland utility bill includes a Flood Safety Benefit Fee. This fee helps fund flood safety infrastructure managed by the Urban Flood Safety & Water Quality District. This infrastructure helps prevent flooding along the Columbia River where thousands of Portlanders live and work.
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The Flood Safety Benefit Fee is a charge on City utility bills that helps fund regional flood safety infrastructure managed by the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District. The district charges the City of Portland and other local governments fees to fund its work. On July 1, 2026, Portland added the Flood Safety Benefit Fee to City utility bills to fund these payments.
The fee supports the operations and maintenance of levees, pump stations, drainage systems, and other infrastructure. This infrastructure protects people living and working along the Columbia River from flooding. This system protects homes, businesses, natural areas, and critical infrastructure, including the Portland International Airport, Interstates 5 and 205, and Portland's secondary drinking water source, the Columbia South Shore Well Field.
Fee amounts
For residential customers, the fee is based on the number of dwelling units and the number of days in the billing period. For a single-family home, the charge is $3.60 for a typical 90-day quarterly bill, or about $1.20 each month.
For nonresidential customers, the fee is 0.9 percent of the total sewer, stormwater, and water bill.
More in-depth calculation examples can be found at the bottom of this page.
Residential customers
For residential customers, the fee is $0.04 per day per dwelling unit.
See examples of typical fee amounts for properties with different numbers of dwelling units below. The exact charge on your bill will depend on the number of service days and the number of units on your property.
| Customer type | Typical fee amount |
|---|---|
| Single-family home (1 dwelling unit) | $3.60 per quarterly bill |
| Duplex (2 dwelling units) | $7.20 per quarterly bill |
| 5-unit multifamily property | $18.00 per quarterly bill |
| 40-unit multifamily property | $48.00 per monthly bill |
| 76-unit multifamily property | $91.20 per monthly bill |
Financial assistance customers
Customers enrolled in financial assistance will be charged half of the standard Flood Safety Benefit Fee amount. The standard fee is $0.04 per day, so customers enrolled in financial assistance will be charged $0.02 per day. These customers will pay $1.80 for a typical 90-day quarterly bill, or about $0.60 each month.
Nonresidential customers
For nonresidential customers, the fee is 0.9 percent of the total sewer, stormwater, and water bill.
| Account example | Billed utility charges | Fee amount |
|---|---|---|
| Small commercial account | $2,569.95 | $23.13 |
| Large commercial account | $15,873.52 | $142.86 |
Frequently asked questions
Where does the money go?
Most of the money raised through this fee goes to the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District. Learn more about the district and their work on their website.
Is this a new fee for City of Portland sewer, stormwater, and water services?
The Flood Safety Benefit Fee is a separate item on City of Portland utility bills. It is not a sewer, stormwater, or water charge.
The fee funds the City's required payments to the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District. The fee is collected through the City of Portland utility bill, which includes charges beyond sewer, stormwater, and water services.
Why do City of Portland utility customers have to pay this fee? When was it approved?
In 2024, the Oregon Legislature authorized the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District to charge fees to cities and counties in their service area. The City of Portland must pay an annual fee to the district to help pay for regional flood protection infrastructure.
The City paid this cost from the General Fund in fiscal years 2024–25 and 2025–26.
In October 2025, Portland City Council approved Ordinance 192113. The ordinance created the Flood Safety Benefit Fee on City utility bills to reimburse the City for annual payments to the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District.
The City began collecting the fee on Portland utility bills on July 1, 2026.
Why am I being charged a Flood Safety Benefit Fee when part of my property tax payment already goes to the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District?
The Flood Safety Benefit Fee on your utility bill is separate from the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District charges collected through your property tax bill.
Most property owners in Multnomah County make property tax payments that go directly to the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District.
- If you own property within the floodplain protected by the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District's levee system, you pay a property assessment to the district. This assessment is a primary source of funding for maintaining and operating the levee system.
- If you own property within the boundaries of the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District (within both Multnomah County and the region's urban growth boundary), you pay a property tax for the district's general obligation bond. The bond was approved by voters in 2024 and is the primary source of capital funds for the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District.
If you have a City of Portland utility account, you also pay the Flood Safety Benefit Fee to fund the City of Portland's required payments to the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District.
In 2024, the Oregon State Legislature passed an act that allowed the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District to charge cities and counties in their service area for the costs of operating the district. This intergovernmental fee provides additional funding for the Urban Flood Safety and Water Quality District, and the City of Portland is required to pay it each year. In past years, the City of Portland paid this fee from its General Fund. In October 2025, Portland City Council approved Ordinance 192113. The ordinance created the Flood Safety Benefit Fee on City of Portland utility bills to fund the City's annual payments to the district.
How is the Flood Safety Benefit Fee calculated?
The Flood Safety Benefit Fee is calculated differently for residential and nonresidential customers.
Single-family residential customers are charged $0.04 per day.
- A single-family home billed quarterly (90 days): $0.04 × 90 days = $3.60
Multifamily residential customers are charged $0.04 per dwelling unit per day.
- Duplex billed quarterly (90 days): $0.04 × 2 units × 90 days = $7.20
- 5-unit complex billed quarterly (90 days): $0.04 × 5 units × 90 days = $18.00
- 40-unit complex billed monthly (30 days): $0.04 × 40 units × 30 days = $48.00
- 76-unit complex billed monthly (30 days): $0.04 × 76 units × 30 days = $91.20
Nonresidential customers are charged 0.9% of the total sewer, stormwater, and water bill.
- Example of a small commercial account: $2,569.95 × 0.009 = $23.13
- Example of a large commercial account: $15,873.52 × 0.009 = $142.86