High Springs officials say $620,000 sewer shortfall requires 'drastic' action after hauler loses permit

High Springs city staff told the City Commission on Aug. 2 that the sewer enterprise faces a $620,000 shortfall driven largely by grinder-pump repair costs, a long-term USDA loan and the unexpected loss of the company that hauled the city’s biosolids.

The shortfall would leave the city with several unpleasant choices, City staff said: raise the monthly sewer charge from the current $44.05 customer fee to about $68.30 (an increase of roughly $24.25) if no other changes are made; shift money from the general fund; raise property millage; or cut services. "This is the biggest thing I think any of us have ever dealt with this quick that's gonna have to be dealt with this fast," Mayor said during the workshop.

City staff outlined the main cost drivers. The city still pays a USDA loan taken in 2003 that carries roughly $458,000 in annual debt payments. Staff said the grinder-pump system used by about 1,000 of the city’s roughly 1,900 sewer customers creates large recurring repair and replacement costs — about $360,000 annually for parts and rebuilds — so that "before one drop of sewage gets treated," more than $850,000 is committed, a staff member said. Rebuild parts typically run roughly $800; a new pump runs about $2,000 and carries a five-year warranty, the presentation said.

Complicating the picture, the company that had been hauling and land-applying the city’s biosolids (identified in…