"Metro Water Proposes Storm Water User Fee"

The storm water division of Metro Water Services has run out of funds for past, present and future projects and might soon turn to every Davidson County property owner to make up the difference. When it rains in the 3,000 block of Dickerson Pike, parking lots flood, water rushes down the culverts and garbage floats on currents of dirty water. Metro Water Services does not receive tax money and is fully funded waters services revenue. When storm water issues occur, and they often, all over Davidson County, the department does not have the money to fix it. Sonia Harvat represents Metro Water Services. She said, “We... ... don't have a dedicated funding source or a stable funding source so currently we have about $84 million worth of projects to be done and we have zero dollars to do that with." Harvat said the complaints about Dickerson Pike and other problems areas around the city are four years old. The city has even drawn up plans to fix, they just can’t fund them. According to Harvat, the storm water budget is zero, why on February 1, the water department asked the Metro City Council to consider assessing every Davidson County property owner a storm water user fee. If passed, every property owner will pay, on average, $4.98 cents a month, every month. The $4.98 cents a month will ensure Metro Water Services continues to make sure subdivisions are designed and developed properly and make sure that homes are not build in flood planes. Paying more money to the water dept, especially if you don't have flooding issues could be a tough sell. If adopted, however, the fee would affect every Davidson County property owner, even if Metro Water Services is not your water provider. Harvat said some 800 cities around the country and many more in Tennessee, including Franklin, Chattanooga and Memphis, already have a storm water user fee. Have a comment? Think something is Messed Up? Visit www.thatismessedup.com . To watch the video CLICK HERE: Copyright 2008 by WKRN Nashville Tennessee. All Rights Reserved.