Legislation for Water Rate Increases Reaches Council

Metro Council members will take up a bill tonight that could raise water and sewer rates about 21 percent over the next three years.

One of the biggest proposed changes is a new system of storm water rates. Metro Water wants to base them on how much “impervious surface” is on a property. That’s any area like paved driveways, parking lots or roof tops where rain water can’t soak in. With these surfaces, rainwater runs off into storm drains, taxing the system.

One of the bill’s sponsors, Council Lady Emily Evans, says this way more equitable. Currently, only homeowners and big water users like hotels are paying storm water fees.

“A portion of your sewer rate was going to help fund our storm water program. And that means that people like a parking lot in downtown Nashville which contributes significantly to our storm water system wasn’t paying a dime.”

Homeowners will pay up to $4.50 per month, depending on how much impervious surface is on the property. Businesses will pay between $20 and $400. But small businesses have voiced concerns about the storm water rates and another charge instituted a few years ago: a water capacity fee levied when businesses turn on their water for the first time.

Water Services has proposed to drop the fee by half, but developer Dan Heller says it’s still too much when it can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

“If restaurants and hair salons and nurseries and things of that nature can’t even get off the ground, you don’t have employment, you don’t have tax revenue.”

Heller sent council a letter urging them to revisit the capacity fee issue.