City of Franklin, TN
Home MenuStormwater User Fee
Stormwater User Fee
**Notice to customers: Effective July 1st, 2021 Ordinance 2021-18 increased the Stormwater ERU rate by 5% from $3.65 to $3.83. This is the first rate increase since the utility was established in 2004.**
The Board of Mayor and Alderman passed on second reading, March 9, 2004 an ordinance (2004-25) to establish a stormwater user fee to be applied to all properties within the City. The Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) is hereby established to be 3,350 square feet of impervious area. The intent to establishing a base rate and tiers is so that application of rate and tiers leads to a fair and equitable result, collecting fees proportionally to the amount of actual use of stormwater facilities. The fee structure reflects different categories of use and tiers using commonly accepted principles to achieve such equitable results.The ERU rate to be charged for Stormwater Management User Fees for each ERU is $3.83 per month. Non-Residential Properties pay monthly the ERU rate times the actual square footage of impervious surface area (e.g., pavement, concrete, rooftop, sidewalk) divided by the ERU. Residential Properties are separated into two tiers: residential units smaller than 3,350 square feet will pay 75% of (or 0.75 times) the ERU Rate per month and residential units larger than 3,350 square feet will pay 120% of (or 1.2 times) the ERU Rate per month.
Stormwater User Fee FAQs
Why do I have a Stormwater User Fee?
The State does not charge residents for stormwater management. Stormwater User Fees are one way municipalities can choose to raise funds to perform pollution prevention steps required by the federal government (which is an unfunded mandate).
Isn’t the User Fee a Tax?
No. This is not a tax, as User Fees are paid for a service benefiting the paying party. This Stormwater User Fee is allowable per TCA §68-221-1107. Cities can levy fees based on a variety of standards but one of the most common methods is to base them on the amount of impervious surfaces (surfaces like concrete and roofs, where water can’t seep into the ground) on a property. Property owners with more impervious surfaces pay more than those with less impervious surfaces.
What’s the Big Deal about Imperviousness?
The more impervious surface on a property, the less infiltration of stormwater on that property, the greater the quantity of surface water runoff, the more pollutant loading generated by that property, and the quicker the surface water runs off of that property.
If you have any further questions, please contact the Stormwater Management Coordinator at (615) 791-3218.
Stormwater User Fee Credits
The City of Franklin encourages practices to reduce and/or treat impervious surface runoff. Commercial sites that currently have no existing water quantity or quality treatment may qualify for User Fee reductions or waivers by implementing measures to improve water quality or detain stormwater runoff. Even sites that have current treatment measures but wish to improve upon those are encouraged to apply. Implementing riparian buffers, bioretention areas, detentions ponds, green roofs and pervious pavers are a just a few examples of common treatment measures. Please contact the City’s Stormwater Management Coordinator at 615-791-3218 or email Jeff.Willoughby@FranklinTn.gov for more information on how to apply.