This method of bill collection was not very effective. The combination of a low user fee and a low collection rate left SMU significantly resource limited. Most bills are issued quarterly, while some large companies pay on a monthly basis. A composite IDF can be issued for a multi-use property. One ARN corresponds to 2,000 square feet, but a property of 4,001 square feet would be assigned an ARN of three.
Credit is given for provision of stormwater detention, in excess of what building permit requires.
Properties that drain directly into a major water course receive user fee credit. The Stormwater Management Utility Fund 107 was established by the City Council in 1985 to account for the revenues and operating expenses of the stormwater management utility in Cincinnati. Revenues are generated by a user fee determined by a formula using property area and land use based on an intensity of development factor. The stormwater management utility is self-supporting and does not receive and funding from the general fund. These estimates are based on a 4.5-percent average rate increase in 1999.