If you received your Indian Hill water bill due in August don’t be shocked. They have made an error in calculating the amount of the surcharge due to Hamilton County. This bill is the first bill to reflect this surcharge in a separate line item. Up to this point the charge has been included in a single line on the bill. This now shows the amount we have been paying the county for years. This is a charge enacted by the Hamilton County Commissioners to create a fund to pay for improvements to the water lines in our community. This charge is also levied against Indian Hill water customers in Remington and Columbia Township.

This charge was created to the response of an examination of water systems outside the village where water pressure would suffer in the event of a large fire. The system in Camp Dennison was re-done to correct parts of the system that showed weakness.

The surcharge is 25% of the water bill. If the water bill is $100 the county should get $25, making the bill $125. To be sure of the correct amount Indian Hill will either calculate the new amount to pay or pay the amount shown and there will be a credit on the next bill for the overpayment.

The surcharge we are paying no expiration date nor is there a cap on the account that will trigger a limit to how much they can accumulate. The money is collected by Indian Hill and given to the county. Look for a follow up as we examine where the money is and how much has accumulated.