Frequently Asked Questions

The revenue created from the stormwater fee funds the Regional Stormwater Management Program, which includes these services:

• Detecting and eliminating illegal connections and failing private sewer systems that are discharging into local streams, potentially harming public health.
• Looking for pollution runoff and the dumping of hazardous materials into local stormwater systems, creeks and channels.
• Managing construction site runoff to prevent flooding and erosion problems which can disrupt property and roads. 
• Monitoring Northern Kentucky’s streams as a part of our efforts to understand the causes of flooding that damage private property and public infrastructure.
• Operating, maintaining and upgrading the public storm sewer system that protects properties and roads from flooding throughout the service area.

To learn more, visit our Understanding Your Bill page.

Any property with a roof, driveway or other impervious surface can contribute to storm water issues, including flooding, erosion and poor water quality. In order to effectively manage stormwater, SD1 charges a stormwater service fee to any such property within our service area boundary. Areas that don’t have storm sewer pipes still benefit from SD1’s stormwater services. For example, SD1 regulates what goes down public stormwater pipes to keep pollution out of the streams that customers rely on for drinking water and recreation. The stormwater fee supports this work.

Stormwater runoff is rain water we receive during heavy downpours that needs to be managed throughout the region. Sidewalks, driveways, rooftops, parking lots and streets are all impervious surfaces that prohibit rain and snow melt from soaking into the ground, leading to stormwater runoff. SD1 works with community leaders to manage flooding, erosion and water pollution caused by stormwater runoff.

To learn more about what the stormwater charge goes toward visit our Stormwater Service page.

To find out more about SD1 projects in your area, visit our Projects in Your Neighborhood page.

To find the complete drawings and maps of stormwater line locations throughout Northern Kentucky, visit our GIS Maps page.

• Polluted storm water drains to drinking water sources, which can threaten public health and increase drinking water treatment costs.
• Bacteria can wash into swimming and fishing areas, creating health hazards.
• Sediment can cloud the water and smother habitats needed by fish and other aquatic life.
• Household hazardous wastes, such as pesticides, paint and used motor oil, can kill wildlife.
• Nutrients from excess fertilizer can wash into streams, leading to algae blooms and other problems in local bodies of water that make it difficult for fish and other aquatic life to survive.

Learn more about SD1’s Stormwater Services.

SD1’s stormwater boundary focuses on the urbanized areas of Northern Kentucky, which are more densely populated and contain public infrastructure such as roadways, storm systems and wastewater systems. Learn more and find out if your property is in our stormwater boundary.

Sanitation is the treatment, cleaning, and proper disposal of your wastewater. Our treatment plants treat about 35 million gallons of wastewater each day. Each individual, on average, creates 80 to 100 gallons of wastewater daily. SD1 has more than 1,600 miles of wastewater pipe, 125 pump stations, and three major treatment plants in Northern Kentucky 

Activities that Impact your Wastewater Bill

1. Taking a shower or bath
2. Doing laundry
3. Using and flushing of the toilet  
4. Washing your hands 
5. Washing the dishes

Listed above are some common examples of activates that require water to be sanitized, cleaned and treated at our various treatment plants before it is allowed to renter our local waterways. Any water that goes down a drain in your home or business is considered wastewater. 

To learn more about how SD1 determines your winter usage factor, visit our Understanding Your Bill page.

Yes. SD1 has partnered with the Brighton Center to offer a customer assistance program. Learn more about the program at our Customer Assistance Program page.

SD1 provides Northern Kentucky with reliable storm water and wastewater services; whereas your local water district provides clean drinking water. 

Remember: Your water district cleans water flowing to your house (showers, faucets, etc.); SD1 cleans water flowing from your house, including used water from showers, washing machines, toilets, and more.

Contact your water district. 

The main reason why your sanitation bill may be higher than your water bill is that the cost of cleaning and treating wastewater is significantly higher than the cost of purifying the water coming into your home. To learn more, visit our Wastewater Service page.

Visit our Start/Stop Service page to learn about how to start of stop SD1 service.

The 5D wastewater rate is the default winter factor rate that is applied to accounts when a new account is set up through the local water district. All new accounts are charged a default rate until SD1 receives a 90-day reading from the water district. After the 90-day reading is received, SD1 adjusts your winter usage factor based on the meter reading provided by your local water district.

For more information on your bill, visit our Understanding Your Bill page.

To schedule a tour of an SD1 treatment plant, check out our Guided Tours & Field Trips page.

To find out about SD1 projects in your neighborhood, visit our Projects in Your Neighborhood page.

No, our Winter Usage Factor billing ensures outdoor activities such as filling swimming pools and watering the lawn -– which do not send water to SD1’s sewer system – are not included in your bill.

However, if you fill your pool between November and April, the time we typically measure water usage to determine your winter factor, your bill may reflect the extra water usage. 

Please call our Customer Care department at 859-578-7450 to notify us of the pool so we can check your account and monitor it for any adjustments. 

SD1 works with your local water district to measure your water usage during a 90-day period between November and April. Your variable rate is then set in July for the next 12 months based on your winter usage during this 90-day period. Visit our billing page to view specific meter reading dates according to your water district. 

You should identify toilet leaks as soon as possible to save water and money. If you suspect your toilet is leaking, follow these simple steps:

1. Open the toilet tank.
2. Drop a dye tablet, a few drops of food coloring, or black coffee in the tank and wait 15 to 20 minutes. 
3. When you return, look in the toilet bowl. If you see colored water, then you have a leak.

Need more help? Search online for alternative toilet leak tests and plumbing solutions.

SD1 leak credit: You can apply for a leak credit if your wastewater bill indicates water usage that did not enter the sewer system and/or is not an accurate reflection of your typical winter usage factor (such as a toilet leak). Before you submit a Request for Final Determination form, be sure to have documentation of your toilet leak.

There is a portion of Florence that has never given SD1 ownership of sanitary (wastewater) sewer pipes. In this area, Florence Water operates and maintains the sewer pipes that lead to SD1’s wastewater treatment plants for cleaning. Thus, you pay two bills because both entities provide vital yet different aspects of sanitary sewer service. 

Contact the Florence Water District.

Learn more about SD1’s Wastewater Service.