CURRENT SEWER RATES

Sewer rates are based on the costs of treating, monitoring, and inspecting wastewater discharged to the City's sewer system as well as all maintenance required to upkeep the system.

Individual sewer bills are based on water consumption as an approximation of sewer use in the facility.  The water consumption amount is based on water meter readings and is charged at the rates shown below.  Industrial users are subject to additional charges based on Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Ammonia, and Oil & Grease loading.  Rates are approved by the Bardstown City Council.

All sanitary sewer users are permitted to obtain a separate irrigation meter to supply water used in irrigation or other uses not discharged to the sanitary sewer system.

Effective July 1, 2022

Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 8.6% will be added to the rates adopted September 1, 2021 per the City of Bardstown Code of Ordinances. Documentation for the CPI is available from the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/.

Residential, Commercial, & Industrial Sewer Rates

2021	8.6% CPI (2022)	4.0% CPI (2023)
$21.18	$23.00	$23.92	Monthly minimum in City, for first 2000 gallons
$23.25	$25.25	$26.26	Outside City, for first 2000 gallons
$5.33	$5.79	$6.02	Per 1000 Gallons in City
$6.95	$7.55	$7.85	Per 1000 Gallons Outside City

 

Industrial Loading Rates:
BOD Loading Per Pound
If 250 mg/L to 1,400 mg/L	$0.38 per pound	$0.38 per pound
If more than 1,400 mg/L	$0.76 per pound	$0.76 per pound
TSS Loading Per Pound
If 250 mg/L to 1,400 mg/L	$0.34 per pound	$0.34 per pound
If more than 1,400 mg/L	$0.69 per pound	$0.69 per pound
Ammonia Loading Per Pound
If 20 mg/L to 140 mg/L	$1.19 per pound	$1.19 per pound
If more than 140 mg/L	$2.38 per pound	$2.38 per pound
Oil & Grease Loading Per Pound
If more than 100 mg/L	$0.58 per pound	$0.58 per pound

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SEWER CONNECTION CHARGE

The owner or contractor must submit a Sewer Connection & System Development Charge form with applicable payment to City Hall.  The private sewer shall be connected to the public sewer at the easement or property line.  Where no property service branch is available, the City will install a tap to receive the property's sewer.  Prior to making connection to the public sewer, the Public Works Superintendent shall be notified so that the connection can be made under his or his representative's supervision.  All connections shall be made gastight and watertight and verified by proper inspections.  A two week notice is required for all sewer connections.

Sewer Connection Fees for Commercial Properties are based on the Water Meter Size and are listed in the table below. The connection fee for multiple unit residential and commercial buildings shall be by the prevailing charge as shown below and one-half the prevailing fee for each additional unit under the same roof. Duplexes, Multiplexes and townhouse buildings that have each unit platted on its own individual lot and/or under individual ownership are considered single family dwellings and are not subject to the discounted connection fee rate described.

Sewer Connection Fees:
	In City Limits	Out of City Limits
Residential	$350	$450
Multi-family Additional Units	$175	$225
Commercial / Industrial
5/8" x 3/4"	$350	$450
3/4"	$400	$500
1"	$510	$610
1 1/2"	$800	$900
2"	$1150	$1250

For more information on inspection of City sewer connections, see our flyer.

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SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT CHARGE

System development charge (SDC) is a one-time fee paid at the time of sewer connection used to fund needed improvements to the sewer system due to growth and development in the community.  The SDC is based upon a customers average monthly water usage.  The rate is $150 per 1,000 gallons of usage.

RESIDENTIAL
A residential single family household SDC is based upon the average household usage of 4,000 gallons.  A multi-family household SDC is based on 2,000 gallons of monthly water usage.

Residential Single Family SDC = $600
Residential Multi-Family Unit SDC = $300 per unit

COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL
The owner or builder must provide the City with an engineer's certified estimate of the monthly water usage before a connection request and SDC can be processed.  That estimate is used to calculate the required fees.  For high volume water users (>40,000 gallons per month) the SDC is broken down as shown below.

Average Monthly Water Usage	Fee/1,000 Gallons
First 40,000 Gallons or Less	$150
Next 60,000 Gallons	$130
Next 100,000 Gallons	$110
All Over 200,001 Gallons	$90

Maximum Sewer SDC is $29,200.

For high volume water users there is a 1% discount to the above SDC for each new industrial job created in the city, as certified by the president of the Bardstown Industrial Development Corporation, after the first 25 new jobs.  The discount cannot reduce the SDC below $10,400 for water, $14,600 for sewer, or $25,000 for water and sewer combined.


TYPICAL BILL JULY 1, 2023
Typical household bill for 4,000 gallons is $35.96 for City Customers and $41.96 for Customers in the County.