Bowling Green residents to see new $4 stormwater charge on water bills
City says the fee can only be spent on stormwater projects
What This Story Is About
- Bowling Green residents will see a new $4 stormwater fee on their water bills starting in early 2027, and businesses will pay by hard surface area.
Why It Matters
- The city says the money can only be spent on stormwater projects such as mitigation, infrastructure repair and replacement, and sinkhole repair.
What Happens Next
- The first charges are expected to show up in early 2027, and the city is asking residents with questions to contact it directly.
For Context
- Bowling Green sits on karst and has few surface streams, so much of its rain drains underground, and Warren County residents already pay a stormwater fee.
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Bowling Green residents will see a new $4 charge on their water bills starting in early 2027.
The city calls the charge a fee, not a tax, and says it can only be spent on stormwater.
What the money will fund
Courtenay Howell, environmental coordinator for the city of Bowling Green, said the stormwater utility will manage several types of work.
“Stormwater utility is also going to manage projects for stormwater mitigation, stormwater infrastructure repair replacement, sinkhole repair, and just making sure that the stormwater is going where it’s supposed to or in the best place possible,” Howell said.
Bowling Green sits on karst, a landscape of caves and sinkholes. The city has few surface streams, so much of its rain drains underground.
“Bowling Green being unique with the karst, stormwater utility is important so that we can have all the resources we need to protect that,” Howell said. “It is there and it does need some attention.”
How businesses will be charged
Businesses are charged differently. Their buildings often have bigger roofs and parking lots, which create more runoff, so they pay by hard surface.
The city charges $4 for every 4,200 square feet, which is the average for a city home lot.
The city said a business with 32,000 square feet of hard surface would pay about $30 a month.
Matching Warren County
Howell said Warren County residents already pay a fee. She said the city wants to match that.
“We want to be transparent and we want people to know that this is coming,” Howell said. “We want you to just come directly to us and ask us those questions so that you can get the proper information, the actual information.”
The first charges are expected to show up in early 2027.
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