- Florence is considering its first major overhaul of its sanitary sewer regulations since 1983, along with targeted updates to drinking water rules revised in 2023.
- Proposed changes include a $350 fire hydrant flow-test fee, higher penalties for habitual violators and new standards governing sewer infrastructure and fats, oils and grease.
- Florence is also considering higher water and sewer connection fees for new development, but officials said existing customers’ water rates would not increase.
The City of Florence is considering substantial updates to the rules governing its water and sewer systems.
On Tuesday, Sept. 16, Florence City Council heard a presentation from Public Services Director Eric Hall, who outlined proposed updates to the city’s drinking water and sanitary sewer regulations, along with a revised fee schedule.
Florence is one of two municipalities in Boone County with its own sewer system. The city’s Department of Public Services maintains 145 miles of sanitary sewer lines, 3,623 manholes, and seven pump stations. It does, however, use Sanitation District 1–Northern Kentucky’s public sewer utility–for wastewater treatment.
Florence previously revised its water rules in 2023, when the city council adopted comprehensive regulations governing water-service connections, meters and meter pits, backflow prevention, water-main extensions, fire protection, inspections, testing and enforcement.
In this round of updates, Florence officials focused on clarifying the language and responsibilities of the city’s existing drinking water regulations.
“You might remember in 2023, we actually did a revision for the first time since ’83 on our water in water regs,” Hall said. “Now after a few years into it, we did identify — and mainly because we were going through the sewer (regulations) — we identified a few areas that we wanted to update this time around.”
Hall said the proposed changes would clarify that meters used for city billing must be purchased directly from Florence, require city inspection and approval of sprinkler pit installations, and clearly define responsibility for service lines.
The city would also include a formal fire hydrant flow testing policy in the new regulations. Currently, city staff perform flow tests when developers, engineers or architects request them. Under the proposed policy, Florence would charge $350 for each new flow test. Hall said the fee would help cover time and labor costs.
“Some of them will take the existing data, but some of them want their own test done, so once we do a pressure test, anybody that comes after we’re willing to give that information to them free of charge, but if they require a new test, then we believe that there should be a charge for that,” Hall said.
Hall said another pillar of the update involves sewer-deduct meters, which measure water used outdoors that does not enter the city’s sanitary sewer system; the network of pipes that carries wastewater to a treatment facility. Essentially, the proposed language clarifies that water measured through that type of meter cannot be discharged into the sanitary sewer system.
Hall used filling a swimming pool as an example. Since pool water does not enter the city’s sanitary sewer system, a sewer-deduct meter can measure the amount used so the customer is not charged a sewer fee.
Florence is also seeking to increase civil penalties for “habitual violators” of the city’s drinking water regulations. In 2023, Florence established a framework for major and minor violations, with the gravest infractions including water theft, installing unauthorized meters, tampering with meters and water-related public health violations. Major violations can carry fines of up to $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for a third.
Now, Florence’s habitual violator provision will apply to customers with four or more infractions, making them eligible for higher fines and penalties.
Regarding sewer regulations, Florence is considering its first major code overhaul since 1983. Hall said Florence plans to further clarify responsibilities for private sewer laterals, the pipes that connect a single building’s plumbing network to the broader sewer system.
Currently, Florence covers repairs under public streets when a private lateral fails, as long as the damage was not caused by negligence or malicious intent. Florence officials want to formally codify this practice in city regulations.
Florence also wants to adopt a model similar to SD1’s standards for its fats, oils and grease control program. When poured down residential drains, grease can harden, restrict pipe flow, and cause backups and overflows. SD1’s regulatory model establishes standards for equipment maintenance, record-keeping and practices designed to prevent fats, oils and grease from entering the broader sewer system.
Lastly, Florence is considering updates to its water and sewer fee schedule. Hall said the changes would apply primarily to new development and would not increase water rates for existing residential, commercial or industrial customers. Instead, meter and water-tap fees would be adjusted to reflect the city’s equipment and installation costs, while sewer-tap fees would increase based on meter size.
“I want to start this with, and be very clear, this does not affect any current customer,” Hall said. “Whether that be residential, commercial, industrial–whatever it may be–we are not increasing water rates in any way, shape, or form with what I’m going to go through here today. New development is what this is primarily focused on.”
As of now, Florence has not taken any legislative action on any of the proposed changes.
