Clean Water Howard

The Howard County stormwater team spans numerous departments and agencies. While each group’s mission is unique, this team works together to improve stormwater runoff management through policies, planning, design, construction, and maintenance of the infrastructure that collects, treats, and releases stormwater.

These programs are primarily funded by the Watershed Protection Fee, a fee charged annually on property tax bills issued on July 1 of each year. The amount you pay is determined by the size of your property (residential) or the amount of impervious area on your property (commercial, non-profits, and agricultural) that allows untreated stormwater to run off to the nearest stream.

However, it is possible to reduce your fee by installing stormwater management practices on your property! For specific information about stormwater for residential, non-profit, and commercial programs, you can follow one of the links below or visit the Clean Water Howard website.

Learn more about stormwater solutions for your residential property and ways to lower your Watershed Protection Fee, on the CleanScapes program page.

For agricultural properties, the Howard Soil Conservation District and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources have programs that will allow you to reduce your Watershed Protection Fee to a flat rate.

Non-profits can benefit from the Nonprofit Watershed Protection Partnership or the Community Stormwater Partnership Grant program.

Information about non-residential or commercial property can be found on the Commercial Stormwater Solutions Partnership program page.