THE FACTS
What is the rain tax?
The “rain tax” is what many neighbors call the separate stormwater bill. Stormwater is rain that runs off roofs, roads, parking lots, and other hard surfaces instead of soaking into the ground. That runoff can carry pollution into streams and rivers. The fee helps pay for work such as clearing drains and projects that reduce runoff. Property owners in participating Northeastern Pennsylvania communities began receiving the bill in 2019. [1, 2]
Who gets the bill?
Owners of homes, businesses, and other properties in participating communities may receive a stormwater bill. The amount depends on the property. In 2020, WNEP reported that the standard charge was about $65 a year, while some properties had been assessed $2,000. Check your own bill for your amount and any credits. Other communities may have different stormwater programs. [1, 5, 6]
Why is stormwater work required?
Federal clean water law and Pennsylvania’s stormwater permits require certain communities to reduce pollution in runoff. The work helps protect local creeks, the Susquehanna River, and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. Those requirements remain in place today. [3, 4]
Why did a separate bill begin?
A 2009 executive order mandated federal agencies to step up efforts to clean the Chesapeake Bay. Pennsylvania’s stormwater permits later required local communities to reduce pollution in runoff, but the permits did not set out how each community would pay for the work or maintenance. A separate stormwater fee was established to help cover those costs. EPA said in 2019 that other ways to fund the work were available. Every option has a cost, which is why any replacement needs a clear public plan. [3–5]
Have people tried to change the bill before?
Yes. Residents raised concerns when the bills began in 2019, and an “End the Rain Tax” group formed that year. In 2020, Congressman Matt Cartwright wrote an opinion piece addressed to President Trump urging him to end the rain tax. People have been asking for a better funding answer for years. [6, 8, 9]
What did Congressman Rob Bresnahan do?
In 2025, Congressman Bresnahan brought local officials together with EPA leadership to discuss residents’ concerns. He pressed EPA to clarify whether federal law required the fee. His office says EPA answered in writing that August: a stormwater fee was not required, though communities still had to meet water protection requirements. Bresnahan continued pressing the White House and EPA to act. [10, 11]
What changed in September 2026?
On September 16, 2026, President Trump signed a new executive order revoking the 2009 order. It tells EPA to work with states to examine what stormwater fees cost residents, look for ways to protect water without raising those costs, and encourage the repeal of these extra fees. [12]
Does the new order end my bill today?
No. The new order does not cancel the separate bill or remove the stormwater requirements communities must still meet. A new funding plan and further action are needed before the bill can end. [4, 12, 13]
Are we asking to stop the clean water work?
No. The work still needs to be done. We are asking Pennsylvania to work with EPA and local leaders to find a way to pay for it without sending property owners a separate rain tax bill. [4, 5, 12]
What would pay for the work instead?
This petition asks Pennsylvania leaders to determine how tax dollars already collected can pay for the required work without replacing the rain tax with another bill or fee for residents and businesses. That plan has not been worked out yet. It should show where the money will come from and when the separate bills could end. [5, 12]
What does signing the petition do?
Signing adds your name to the call for a public funding plan and an end to the separate rain tax bill. A petition does not stop a bill or change the law on its own. It shows Pennsylvania leaders and EPA that residents want clean water and a fairer way to pay for the work.
SOURCES:
EPA: Wyoming Valley communities’ stormwater requirements and funding options, 2019
WNEP: “‘End the Rain Tax’ Group Fighting Stormwater Fee,” June 2019
Matt Cartwright: “Mr. President, Kill the Rain Tax,” The Citizens’ Voice, March 2020
WVIA: Bresnahan’s meeting with EPA leadership and local officials, March 2025
Rep. Bresnahan’s office: His work on the rain tax and EPA’s August 2025 written response
