Disciplines
Civil and Environmental Engineering | Civil Engineering | Engineering
Recommended Citation
Campbell, C. Warren, "Western Kentucky University Stormwater Utility Survey 2010" (2010). Civil Engineering Publications. Paper 1.
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/civil_engin_pubs/1
Comments
This survey was done by students in Civil Engineering 300 Floodplain Management class: Alex Krumenacher, CFM; Nick Lawhon, CFM; Austin Shields, CFM; Adam Disselkamp, CFM; Kenneth Marshall Wesley Poynter, CFM; Tyler Williams, CFM
The main goal of this survey was to identify as many U.S. Stormwater Utilities (SWUs) as possible. Because many stormwater professionals do not have the time to respond to questionnaires, our primary method of identification was Internet searches. We searched on key terms such as “stormwater utility”, “stormwater fee”, and “drainage fee”. We scoured on-line municipal codes such as Municode, AmLegal, LexisNexis, and others. We went through many city web sites trying to find utilities. The approach used is prone to errors and we hope the readers of this document will help us correct them. In some cases, it is difficult to tell whether the community has a stormwater utility or not. Some communities have enacted the right to charge a stormwater user’s fee, but have not actually enacted a fee. If the right to charge a recurring fee dedicated to stormwater was enacted, we counted it as a SWU. When one of our students contacted a community official, she said they did not have a SWU but wished they did. However, they did charge a stormwater fee of $ 0.55 per month. This raises the question of the definition of a SWU. By our definition, a SWU is a funding approach requiring residents to pay a recurring charge that supports community stormwater initiatives. The fee is dedicated to the maintenance, design, construction, and administration of the stormwater system. The opinions expressed in this document are those of the author. They are not official opinions of Western Kentucky University, its administration, nor of any other individuals associated in any way with the University. The author is an engineer so that any opinions expressed should not in any way be construed by any individual or organization as sound legal advice. The use or misuse of any of the data and information provided herein is the sole responsibility of the user and is not the responsibility of Western Kentucky University, its employees, students, or any organization associated with the University.