Bowling Green property owners, including businesses with large roofs and parking lots, will start seeing a city stormwater charge in early 2027. WBKO reported on Nov. 11 that residents will see a new $4 charge on their water bills, and that businesses will pay according to how much hard surface their property has.
The city's environmental coordinator, Courtenay Howell, told WBKO that the city wants people to hear about the charge before it reaches their bills. "We want to be transparent and we want people to know that this is coming," she said.
The Details
- Homes: $4 a month, or $48 a year, according to the Daily News and the city's stormwater utility FAQ.
- Businesses and other non-residential property: $4 for every 4,200 square feet of hard surface, such as rooftops and pavement, WBKO reported. The station said 4,200 square feet is the average for a city home lot. The Daily News reported that the city calls this unit an "equivalent residential unit."
- The city's business example: A business with 32,000 square feet of hard surface would pay about $30 a month, the city told WBKO.
- When: The Daily News reported that the utility takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, and WBKO said the first charges are expected in early 2027.
- Where it goes: The city says the money can be spent only on stormwater, WBKO reported. Howell said the utility will manage stormwater mitigation projects, stormwater infrastructure repair and replacement, sinkhole repair and making sure stormwater goes where it should.
The Backstory
City commissioners unanimously approved the first reading of the stormwater utility ordinance in November 2025, the Daily News reported, and the paper later described the plan as approved last year. The fee is half of a two-part funding plan. The other half is a one-time "fee in lieu of construction" for new developments larger than one acre that add more than 10,000 square feet of hard surface. The Daily News reported in July that commercial developments pay $12,000 per acre under that fee, which replaces the need to build their own stormwater mitigation. That July report said the fund had already collected more than $230,000.
Warren County residents already pay a stormwater fee, and the city wants its charge to match, Howell told WBKO. WBKO noted that Bowling Green is a karst region with 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.
What It Means for Bowling Green Businesses
The charge depends on how much of a property is roof and pavement, so properties with more hard surface pay more.
In July, the city's environmental manager, Matt Powell, told the Daily News that the large payers the city had contacted had been "understanding." He also said staff were still matching property owners to their utility services and looking into whether a property owner or a lessee will be responsible for the bill. Neither the WBKO report nor the city's stormwater FAQ says how that was resolved.
Before You Go
- The city's stormwater FAQ says billing details are still being finalized and that the fee will likely appear on an existing utility bill.
- The city is asking people with questions to contact it directly. "We want you to just come directly to us and ask us those questions," Howell told WBKO. The city's stormwater FAQ is at bgky.org/stormwater/stormwater-utility.