System and method for stormwater utility management

Abstract

Disclosed is a system and method for stormwater utility management that aids stormwater utilities in establishing fees, abatements, and tradeable stormwater credits using publicly available parcel database information. A stormwater support services computer in communication with publicly available data stores of parcel information rapidly assesses and generates a per-parcel stormwater utility fee based on estimated size of impervious surfaces on a parcel. Through use of publicly available parcel information to generate an estimated size of impervious surfaces on a parcel, a stormwater utility fee based on level of service is implemented.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer method for generating a per-parcel stormwater utility fee for parcels in a municipality, comprising the steps of:
 collecting at one or more data storage devices parcel size data for parcels in a municipality from a remote, publicly accessible data source;   sending said parcel size data from said one or more data storage devices to a processor;   generating by the processor an estimate of municipality average impervious surface area using said parcel size data;   generating by the processor a per-parcel stormwater utility fee based on the estimate of municipality average impervious surface area; and   displaying the per-parcel stormwater utility fee on a display.   
     
     
         2 . The computer method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of generating by the processor an estimate of municipality average impervious surface area further comprises:
 performing by the processor linear regression analysis of data indicating a relationship of Curve Number to lot size for a plurality of parcels for which data is present in said parcel size data; and   establishing by the processor a customized stormwater unit equal to a product of Control Number and Lot Size for said plurality of parcels.   
     
     
         3 . The computer method of  claim 2 , wherein said step of generating by the processor a per-parcel stormwater utility fee further comprises:
 summing by the processor the established, customized stormwater units for said plurality of parcels; and   dividing by the processor a total target revenue by said sum of stormwater units for said plurality of parcels.   
     
     
         4 . The computer method of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of:
 transmitting from said processor to a remote stormwater utility computing device an interactive electronic page allowing said remote stormwater utility computing device to engage said processor to calculate at least one of (i) a total stormwater utility fee revenue based on a total number of stormwater units for parcels in said municipality and an established rate, and (ii) a rate based on said total number of stormwater units for parcels in said municipality and a target total stormwater utility fee revenue.   
     
     
         5 . The computer method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of generating by the processor an estimate of municipality average impervious surface area further comprises:
 performing by the processor linear regression analysis of data indicating a relationship of Curve Number to percentage of impervious surface for a plurality of parcels for which data is present in said parcel size data;   establishing by the processor an estimated equivalent residential unit for said plurality of parcels using output from said linear regression analysis; and   establishing by the processor an estimated average equivalent residential unit for said plurality of parcels.   
     
     
         6 . The computer method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 establishing by the processor an end user account associated with each said parcel;   monitoring by the processor each said end user account to detect the occurrence of a stormwater mitigation transaction through said end user account with a third party stormwater mitigation product or service provider.   
     
     
         7 . The computer method of  claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
 upon detection by said processor of an occurrence of a stormwater mitigation transaction through one of said end user accounts with a third party stormwater mitigation product or service provider, adjusting a per-parcel stormwater utility fee for said one of said end user accounts based upon said stormwater mitigation transaction.   
     
     
         8 . The computer method of  claim 6 , further comprising the steps of:
 transmitting from said processor to a remote user computing device an interactive electronic page providing an e-commerce portal through which said user computing device may access third party stormwater mitigation product and service providers.   
     
     
         9 . A computer system for generating a per-parcel stormwater utility fee for parcels in a municipality, comprising:
 a data storage device collecting parcel size data for parcels in a municipality from a remote, publicly available data source;   a processor in data communication with said data storage device, the processor including instructions that when executed cause the processor to:
 receive said parcel size data from said data storage device; 
 generate an estimate of municipality average impervious surface area using said parcel size data; and 
 generate a per-parcel stormwater utility fee based on the estimate of municipality average impervious surface area; and 
   a display displaying said per-parcel stormwater utility fee.   
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 9 , wherein said display is associated with a remote stormwater utility computing device in data communication with said processor via cloud computing services. 
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein the processor instructions that generate an estimate of municipality average impervious surface area further cause the processor to:
 perform linear regression analysis of data indicating a relationship of Curve Number to lot size for a plurality of parcels for which data is present in said parcel size data; and   establish a customized stormwater unit equal to a product of Control Number and Lot Size for said plurality of parcels.   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein the processor instructions that generate an estimate of municipality average impervious surface area further cause the processor to:
 sum the established, customized stormwater units for said plurality of parcels; and   divide a total target revenue by said sum of stormwater units for said plurality of parcels.   
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 11 , wherein said processor instructions further cause the processor to transmit to a remote stormwater utility computing device an interactive electronic page allowing said remote stormwater utility computing device to engage said processor to calculate at least one of (i) a total stormwater utility fee revenue based on a total number of stormwater units for parcels in said municipality and an established rate, and (ii) a rate based on said total number of stormwater units for parcels in said municipality and a target total stormwater utility fee revenue. 
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor instructions that generate an estimate of municipality average impervious surface area further cause the processor to:
 perform linear regression analysis of data indicating a relationship of Curve Number to percentage of impervious surface for a plurality of parcels for which data is present in said parcel size data;   establish an estimated equivalent residential unit for said plurality of parcels using output from said linear regression analysis; and   establish an estimated average equivalent residential unit for said plurality of parcels.   
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 9 , wherein said processor instructions further cause the processor to:
 establish an end user account associated with each said parcel; and   monitor each said end user account to detect the occurrence of a stormwater mitigation transaction through said end user account with a third party stormwater mitigation product or service provider.   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein said processor instructions further cause the processor to, upon detection by said processor of an occurrence of a stormwater mitigation transaction through one of said end user accounts with a third party stormwater mitigation product or service provider, adjust a per-parcel stormwater utility fee for said one of said end user accounts based upon said stormwater mitigation transaction. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein said processor instructions further cause the processor to transmit to a remote user computing device an interactive electronic page providing an e-commerce portal through which said user computing device may access third party stormwater mitigation product and service providers.