Drainage Utility

Ordinance Adoption 

On October 2, 2017 the City of Sachse Council adopted an Ordinance to implement the Stormwater/Drainage utility services program. The Texas Legislature authorized cities to establish drainage utilities in 1987. Sachse was one of only two out of 14 peer cities in the Metroplex without a drainage utility system. The adoption of the system will help the City keep up with needed maintenance on the community’s storm water drainage system. It is necessary to preserve the integrity of the system; minimize erosion and protect property from the threat of flooding; and evaluate available funding opportunities for drainage rehabilitation and enhancement projects. Improving the city’s drainage system is not only a goal of the City but there are also specific regulations required by the Texas Pollution Discharge Elimination System. Establishing the drainage utility system will allow the City to continue to sustain its environmental and regulatory obligations for stormwater management, enhance its annual maintenance and capital work plan in response to community needs and expectations, and allocate the cost of drainage-related services through an equitable rate method.

The stormwater utility charge appears as a line item on your City of Sachse utility bill.

What Type of Projects Will be Funded?

All items refer to public stormwater/drainage areas:

  • Inspections and compliance
  • Debris removal and clean out
  • Vegetation management
  • Hazardous spill management
  • Public awareness and outreach
  • Pipe and channel repair
  • Flood control
  • Erosion protection    

How is the Rate Calculated?

Each property’s contribution to the storm collection system is estimated by determining the amount of its impervious area (rooftops, parking lots, and other hard surfaces).

Commercial properties (apartments, mobile home parks, businesses, etc.) pay  $1.66 per month per equivalent residential unit (ERU) of impervious area on the property. For example, a commercial property with 10 times more hard surface than the average residential property would pay $16.60 per month.

Residential properties pay a flat rate of $1.66 per month. This rate was developed by measuring the average impervious area for a representative sample of residential properties in Sachse.

Exemptions by State Law

•   State of Texas
•   Institutions of higher learning
•   Undeveloped property
•   Properties with private drainage system
    (No discharge to a waterway, roadway, or other City drainage infrastructure)