(1) “Base Rate” means the stormwater user’s fee for an equivalent residential unit (ERU).

(2) “City” means the City of Pullman, Washington, a municipal corporation created and existing under the laws of the state of Washington.

(3) “Credit” means the extent to which utility customers meeting specified criteria are billed at a reduced fee, such reduction representing a fee credit. The fee credit is provided in recognition that those utility customers who meet the specified criteria provide an in-kind service or contribution that offsets a portion of the burdens on the stormwater system imposed by the credited parcel.

(4) “Developed Property” means real property that has been altered from its undeveloped state by the creation or addition of impervious surface areas, such as buildings, structures, pavement or other improvements.

(5) “Duplex, Tri-plex, and Four-plex” mean buildings designed and arranged exclusively for occupancy in two (2), three (3), and four (4) separate dwelling units, respectively.

(6) “Dwelling Unit” means a single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one (1) family including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation.

(7) “Equivalent Residential Unit” or “ERU” means, and is equal to, 3,500 square feet of impervious groundcover, which approximates the average impervious surface area contained on single-family residential parcels within the City. An ERU is the unit of impervious groundcover to be used by the utility in calculating service charges for each parcel of property.

(8) “Family” is defined in PCC 17.05.020(52).

(9) “Fee” or “Stormwater User’s Fee” means the charge established under this ordinance for parcels or pieces of real property to fund the costs of stormwater management and of operating, maintaining, and improving the stormwater system in the City.

(10) “Finance Director” means the duly appointed Director of the City of Pullman Finance Department or his or her designee. The Finance Director may utilize the services of the Public Works Department as necessary to make decisions.

(11) “Impervious Surface” means a surface which is covered with material that is resistant to infiltration by water, including, but not limited to, most conventionally surfaced streets, roofs, sidewalks, patios, driveways, parking lots, and any other oiled, graveled, graded, compacted, or any other surface which impedes the natural infiltration of surface water.

(12) “Impervious Surface Area” means the number of square feet of horizontal surface covered by buildings and other impervious surfaces.

(13) “Multiple Family Dwelling Unit” means a building or portion thereof, containing five (5) or more separate dwelling units.

(14) “National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System” or “NPDES” refers to the federal permit system under the Clean Water Act for discharges of pollutants to surface waters of the United States. Congress amended the Clean Water Act in 1987 to regulate stormwater. Under the revisions, NPDES Phase II permits are required for municipal stormwater discharges to surface waters.

(15) “Nonresidential Parcel” means a parcel which has been developed for any purpose other than a single-family residence, duplex, tri-plex, or four-plex and includes, but is not limited to, commercial parcels, industrial parcels, parking lots, hospitals, schools, hotels, offices, churches, governmental parcels, mobile/manufactured home parks and multiple family dwelling units.

(16) “Public Works Director” means the duly appointed Director of the City of Pullman Department of Public Works or his or her designee.

(17) “Residential Parcel” means a parcel which has been developed as a single-family residence, a mobile/manufactured home on a separate parcel, and other parcels where the primary use is residential, including duplexes, tri-plexes, and four-plexes, but excluding all other apartment complexes.

(18) “Single-Family Residence” means a parcel which has been developed with a residential structure designated for occupancy by one (1) family or household unit, including mobile homes and manufactured homes on a separate parcel.

(19) “Stormwater” means that portion of precipitation that does not naturally percolate into the ground or evaporate, but flows via overland flow, interflow, pipes and other features of a stormwater drainage system into a defined surface waterbody.

(20) “Stormwater Control Facility” means the streams, rivers, ponds, waterways, groundwater, and functionally related natural and manmade stormwater control facilities that combined constitute the City stormwater control facility.

(21) “Stormwater Management Fund” or “Fund” means the fund created by this ordinance to operate, maintain, and improve the City’s stormwater system.

(22) “Storm Drainage and Surface Water Management” means the planning, design, construction, regulation, improvement, repair, maintenance, and operation of facilities and programs relating to stormwater.

(23) “Stormwater and Surface Water System” or “Stormwater System” means all properties, interest, physical and intangible rights of every kind or nature owned, held or operated by the City, however acquired, insofar as they contribute to the management of storm or surface water. It shall further include without limitation, all such properties, interests and rights acquired by adverse possession or by prescription, directly or through another; in and to the drainage or storage, or both of storm or surface waters, or both; and through, under, or over lands, landforms, watercourses, streams, ponds and swamps. In each case or instance, their inclusion begins at a point where storm or surface waters first enter the stormwater control facility of the City within the City limits, and ends where storm or surface waters exit from the stormwater control facility of the City within the City limits, and in width to the full extent of inundation caused by the largest storm or flood condition.

(24) “Storm Drainage and Surface Water Management Utility” or “Stormwater Utility” or “Utility” means the Storm Drainage and Surface Water Management Utility created by this ordinance as it may be amended from time to time.

(25) “Undeveloped Property” is property that has no improvements, generates little to no traffic, and generally exists in a natural state, thereby imposing little burden upon the system and receiving no benefit from the utility’s services. This includes property previously used for agricultural crop production.

(26) “Waiver” means that determination by the Finance Director that a utility customer’s property has met the criteria specified in PCC 10.30.120 of this chapter to receive a waiver from paying stormwater fees. Any waiver will require a showing that parcels that meet the specified criteria provide an in-kind service or contribution that offsets the burdens on the stormwater system imposed by the parcels subject to the waiver. (Ord. 22-10 §3, 2022; Ord. 09-2 §4, 2009).