A water quality study is well underway leading to the resetting of the city sewer service fee, members of the City Council were told.
City Engineer Bill Payne said it has been 10 years since the last rate study.
He said a team of consultants is working to determine ongoing city costs for stormwater treatment and the amount of revenue needed to fund the efforts.
Asked by Councilwoman Carol Berz if that means a rate increase for city sewer uses, he said not necessarily.
Mr. Payne said a draft of the study has been completed and public works officials are reviewing it. He said it will be taken before the city Stormwater Board in the next few weeks, then it will move on to the City Council.
Officials said a staff of 150 currently work on the city stormwater program.
It is a separate effort from the expensive projects the city is carrying out to meet requirements of a court-ordered Consent Decree. That is aimed at preventing sewage overflows during periods of heavy rain.
The last sewer rate adjustment was in 2009 with charges ramped up gradually through 2013.