Muni-Link is a cloud stormwater billing software platform built for municipalities that manage property-based charges, payments, customer records, and reporting. A purpose-built system can connect stormwater billing with GIS, accounting, online payment, and customer-service workflows while preserving the records needed to document each charge or account change.
Cloud-based platforms specifically designed for stormwater billing give municipalities one system for calculating charges and maintaining customer records. They can also process payments, document account activity, and support public-sector reporting. Unlike general accounting software, municipal utility platforms accommodate parcel relationships, exemptions, adjustments, configurable rate codes, and delinquency workflows.
Muni-Link is a true-cloud Customer Information System hosted in Amazon Web Services. We built the platform alongside four utility providers, and it supports stormwater alongside water, sewer, refuse, and other municipal services. Municipalities can place several services on one bill, reducing the need to maintain separate customer databases.
For a stormwater utility, the practical advantage is centralized information. Staff can review property details and balances from Account Central. The same screen also provides access to payment history, documents, notes, notifications, and service activity. Role-based permissions give users the access appropriate to their duties.
A platform should accommodate local policies rather than force every municipality into one billing model. Before selecting cloud stormwater billing software, document your billing frequency and rate structure. Include exemptions, credits, parcel relationships, and required financial exports. Then require each vendor to demonstrate those exact scenarios with sample accounts.
Cloud stormwater billing software stores customer and parcel information in a browser-accessible system. It also maintains service, rate, transaction, and payment data. Authorized employees work in the same current application without installing or maintaining separate local software versions.
Our platform lets administrators create an unlimited number of account types, service types, rate codes, rates, and user-defined fields. Charges can be fixed, consumption-based, tiered, or seasonally averaged. Stormwater utilities can configure the combination that reflects their adopted fee structure and ordinances.
A typical billing workflow includes:
Muni-Link can connect with GIS, accounting, payment, remittance, and asset-management systems. Before implementation, request a written interface inventory. It should name every source system, data owner, transfer method, update frequency, and reconciliation process.
A municipal stormwater utility can simplify billing by consolidating property data and rate administration. The same platform can manage payments, reporting, and customer communication. This consolidation reduces the spreadsheets and disconnected handoffs that often create duplicate entries or inconsistent account records.
Muni-Link can link addresses and parcels, including stacked parcels. It can also associate owners, tenants, alternate addresses, and multiple services with the correct records. Staff can search using full or partial values such as customer name or address. Other options include account number, meter number, endpoint ID, and parcel number.
The platform supports consolidated statements for customers with multiple accounts. Its Customer Portal gives users online access to bills, transaction history, electronic payment options, and several accounts through one sign-on. A Notifications Module can send billing notices or other updates by phone, text, or email.
Several controls are especially valuable during configuration. Test one ordinary parcel and one exempt or credited property before approving rates. Add a multi-parcel owner to verify more complex relationships. Reconcile the first billing file to the general ledger by charge type, not merely by total dollars. Keep the effective date and approval record for every rate change in the system’s audit trail.
Cloud stormwater billing software should include configurable rates, flexible property records, system integrations, and audit trails. Customer self-service and reporting should also reflect the municipality’s adopted policies and existing technology.
|
Capability |
Stormwater Billing Purpose |
Evaluation Test |
|
Configurable rates and fees |
Applies local charge structures, credits, and effective dates |
Build and calculate sample accounts |
|
Parcel and address linking |
Connects properties, owners, tenants, and services |
Demonstrate complex parcel relationships |
|
GIS integration |
Exchanges location or property information |
Confirm direction and frequency of data flow |
|
Audit trails |
Records account, payment, rate, and adjustment changes |
Trace one corrected charge from start to finish |
|
Customer portal |
Provides bills, history, and online payments |
Complete a mobile payment test |
|
Financial integration |
Transfers billing and payment batches to accounting |
Reconcile a sample posting file |
|
Notifications |
Sends targeted phone, text, or email messages |
Segment and send a test campaign |
|
Role-based access |
Limits sensitive functions by responsibility |
Review an access matrix by job role |
Muni-Link provides hundreds of reports for water, wastewater, stormwater, and refuse operations. Reports can be filtered and saved as favorites, then exported to CSV when staff needs the data elsewhere. Buyers should request demonstrations using their own data patterns rather than accept a standard feature tour.
Cloud billing supports stormwater compliance by preserving consistent charge logic and account history. It also stores supporting documents and traceable changes. Billing software does not determine whether a local fee or stormwater program satisfies a legal requirement, but it can make approved rules easier to apply and document.
Muni-Link maintains transaction and consumption history, supports unlimited account notes and attachments, and records field changes in an audit trail. Staff can retrieve the source information behind an assessment, correction, credit, or payment without reconstructing the history from separate files.
Operational compliance depends on disciplined configuration. Store the ordinance or policy reference used for every charge category. Where staffing permits, separate permission to approve rate changes from routine payment entry. Schedule periodic exception reports for missing parcel links and unusual adjustments. Review inactive accounts with charges and records that lack required classifications.
Data retention and ownership also matter. Our SaaS agreement states that customer data remains owned by the customer. Municipalities can export data to CSV, and the agreement addresses data return after termination. Procurement teams should confirm ownership and export formats before signing a cloud contract. They should also review retention periods, backup practices, incident procedures, and exit terms.
Cloud stormwater billing software manages the operational details behind recurring utility charges, while a general accounting system records summarized financial activity. Most municipalities need integration between the systems rather than forcing one platform to perform both jobs.
A utility billing platform maintains property and customer relationships. It calculates recurring charges, generates bills, manages delinquencies, and provides customer self-service. It also processes account adjustments. The accounting system remains the financial system of record for general ledger activity and broader municipal reporting.
Muni-Link prepares transactions in batches for posting to the general ledger. It can also interface with cash-receipt, GIS, payment, remittance, meter-reading, and asset-management tools. This structure keeps detailed account activity in the billing platform while transferring validated financial entries to accounting.
During evaluation, ask vendors to demonstrate a complete cycle. They should create a stormwater account, calculate its charge, apply a correction, receive payment, and export the accounting batch. The final demonstration should reconcile the totals. A slideshow cannot reveal whether operational and financial records stay aligned.
Muni-Link is built specifically for cyclical municipal utility billing. It supports stormwater, water, sewer, refuse, and related services in one true-cloud platform. We developed the system with four utility partners and have invested more than 40,000 development hours over 14 years.
Our team includes over 80 employees. Every subscription includes unlimited users and unlimited support, with no added support charge. U.S.-based specialists are available by phone, chat, or email, with 98% of calls answered within the first few rings, according to our current product materials.
The system is hosted on AWS and includes role-based access, multifactor authentication, field-level encryption for key database fields, and audit trails. Real-time account information gives authorized employees a current view of utility activity. We release platform improvements regularly, with enhancements included in the subscription.
Most importantly, we connect billing with the daily work around it. Account Central brings customer and property details together. Customer portals, notifications, payments, service orders, reports, and integrations create a shared operational record instead of another isolated billing application.
See how Muni-Link can configure stormwater services and property relationships around your municipality’s policies. We can also demonstrate rate administration, customer records, online payments, and financial exports using realistic billing scenarios. Bring sample accounts and your current system inventory to a personalized demonstration so our team can focus on your billing cycle and modernization plan.
Q: Can stormwater fees appear on the same bill as water and sewer charges?
A: Yes. A municipal utility billing platform can place stormwater, water, sewer, refuse, and other configured services on one account or consolidated bill. The exact layout and charge treatment depend on the municipality’s billing policies and system configuration.
Q: Can cloud billing software manage stormwater credits and exemptions?
A: Configurable rate codes and account classifications can support locally approved credits or exemptions. Alerts, user-defined fields, adjustments, and effective dates provide additional administrative controls. During procurement, test each exception with a sample property and verify how the approval appears in the audit trail.
Q: Does a stormwater billing platform need GIS integration?
A: GIS integration is valuable when parcel boundaries or property attributes influence billing. It can also connect service locations and other geographic data with billing records. Define which system owns each field and how frequently updates move between GIS and billing before selecting an integration method.
Q: How long does municipal utility billing software implementation take?
A: Timing depends on data quality, integration requirements, rate complexity, staff availability, testing, and training. Our implementation follows nine stages. It begins with kickoff and client profiling, then progresses through data conversion and training. Go-live, the first business cycle, and ongoing support complete the process. See the Utility Billing Software Implementation Guide & Process.
Q: Can residents pay stormwater bills online?
A: Yes. A customer portal can display bills and transaction history. It can also accept supported online payments and let customers manage multiple accounts. Municipalities should test the portal on phones, tablets, and desktop computers before go-live. Learn more about the Customer Portal with My360™.
Q: Who owns municipal data in a cloud billing platform?
A: Data ownership should remain with the municipality and be stated in the SaaS agreement. The contract should define export formats, retrieval costs, retention periods, and termination procedures. It should also address backup practices and the process for returning data.
