This page contains answers to common questions handled by our staff, along with some tips that we have found useful and presented here as questions.

Why was this amount added to my bill?

This fee was added to the water bills to help fund projects that could potentially reduce flooding in the City of Hopkinsville. It also helps fund the Stormwater Phase II project which is an unfunded federal mandate that identifies stormwater sources that reduce water quality.

What is an ERU?

An ERU is an Equivalent Residential Unit. This is the average impervious surface (anything that does not allow water to “soak through” to the ground, such as driveways, roofs, and sidewalks) area associated with a single family residential property in the City of Hopkinsville as calculated using statistical methods.

Where does this money go?

This money goes into a fund to help operate, maintain, and improve the City of Hopkinsville’s stormwater system.

What projects are in the works?

Who decided to add this to my bill?

City Council passed Ordinance 32-2005 establishing the Surface and Stormwater Utility and Ordinance 36-2005 to establish the fee schedule. The Surface and Stormwater Utility decided that the best way to fund projects to reduce flooding would be to add a small fee to the bills of water customers within the city limits of Hopkinsville.

Will this solve flooding?

This will not solve flooding; there will always be rainfall events that exceed the design capacity of the system. It will help reduce the frequency of flooding within the City of Hopkinsville.