Surface Water Management District - Bath Special District
Bath Township joined the County's Surface Water Management District when it was an opt-in program in order to address the needs of Yellow Creek. While the District has since expanded, the Bath Special District remains in effect until 2025, with Bath Township receiving the benefits of having a fully funded and operational stormwater program. Visit the Surface Water Management District page for more information on the expanded district. Residents wishing to submit a drainage concern can do so here.
Bath Township, Special District
The Bath Surface Water Management District ("SWMD") functions as a utility. Currently, residential properties are charged one Equivalent Rate Unit or “ERU”. The current rate for one ERU is $4.00 per month, which is billed annually. Properties with a Homestead Exemption are granted a 25% reduction in fees, for a cost of $3.00 per month. Commercial properties are charged one ERU per 3,000 square feet of impervious surface. Those who already live in an assessed subdivision will also be granted a 25% fee reduction. In addition, property owners can receive credits for performing unrequired storm water control measures; however no property shall pay less than one ERU per month. Summit County recently changed the collection method, with fees now being collected on the property tax bills.
Please note, Bath Township as the only opt-in community is the only township currently paying fees. A revised fee rate has been developed and will not be implemented until 2025 for the expanded district.
The program provides the ability to raise revenue for stormwater control projects that cannot be funded in any other manner. The Ohio Revised Code does not allow counties or townships to spend road and bridge money on off-roadway drainage improvements, leaving them to rely on increasingly strapped general fund dollars to provide such services. The SWMD allows political subdivisions to finally perform projects and maintenance in areas that have long been a problem but had no funds available for the improvements. Rules and regulations have been adopted to implement best practices and ensure stormwater quality.
The Surface Water Management District can also perform projects beyond its limits utilizing existing provisions in the Ohio Revised Code in the event a storm water control project in a neighboring community would benefit a participating community. ORC Sections 6131, 6133, and 6137 define the procedure for construction and maintenance of these projects.
The SWMD appointed an advisory committee made up of Bath Township resident volunteers to help prioritize Bath Township needs and projects. The advisory committee first met in 2019 and heard from Sustainable Streams engineer Bob Hawley, PE regarding the Yellow Creek Watershed Study. The study and Mr. Hawley's presentation can be found below. Though the program is administered by the County, we are committed to having as much local control and input as possible.
- SWMD Bath Update August 7, 2023 (PDF, 2893.6k)
- State of the Yellow Creek Watershed 2022 (PDF, 3381.1k)
- June 2022 SWMD Newsletter (PDF, 257.5k)
- Yellow Creek NPSIS (PDF, 8382.0k)
- Yellow Creek Watershed Study (PDF, 8387.8k)
- Yellow Creek Watershed Analysis Appendices (PDF, 125735.2k)
- Landowners' Guide to Stormwater (PDF, 654.0k)
- Beaver Control Policy (PDF, 157.3k)
Online Forms
Use the online forms below to submit a drainage complaint, appeal a fee, or apply for an ERU credit. Please note that the ERU credit and appeals forms are only for the Bath Township Special District at this time.