There has been growing recognition in recent years that stormwater management in Black Mountain is a community wide challenge and the current stormwater program and existing level of funding do not adequately support or address the challenge, thus the creation of a Stormwater Utility in 2021. The utility will be funded by property owner fees based on tiered rates based on the amount of impact on a property. The utility is necessitated in part by regulations including: The Town's requirements under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, the Town's requirements under the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) program, and to better address drainage, flooding, and infrastructure concerns and resilience in consideration of hydrologic (precipitation and runoff) changes associated with climate change. The Stormwater Utility is being established to deliver a range of services in recognition of the Town's responsibilities and goals.