Lucas County sanitary engineer Jim Shaw recommended a 4% annual increase to county water and wastewater rates for four years, saying the change would take effect Oct. 1, 2025.

At a June 24 public hearing in Springfield Township, Shaw said the recommended increase is driven by aging infrastructure, higher operations and capital costs and the possibility of new regulations. "There'll be a 4% annual increase for the next 4 years, effective 10/01/2025," Shaw said. He gave the commission an itemized estimate of household impacts and said the county last requested a rate increase about 10 years ago.

The proposal to be considered as a resolution at the Board of County Commissioners' meeting on July 1, 2025, would raise monthly bills for typical customers by modest amounts, Shaw said. He presented examples tied to water usage: a residential sanitary sewer tap (trunk capacity) adjustment would move to $3 per gallon per day for sanitary sewer and $1 per gallon per day for water for new connections; typical residential tap fees were described as about $400 for water and $1,200 for sanitary sewer. Shaw also said the county’s budget for water and wastewater collection and treatment is approximately $20,000,000, with about $15,500,000 attributed to collection and treatment costs.

Shaw described how the county’s system doubled its number of connections between 1995 and 2005 and has since added roughly 200–300 connections annually, but now faces the expense of maintaining an aging network. He cited examples of recent industry challenges — from Microcystin events to PFAS concerns — that can produce unexpected capital or operating needs. Shaw outlined funding sources the county uses, including grants, low-interest loans through the Ohio Water Development Authority, and zero-interest loans from the Ohio Public Works Commission, and said grants remain a priority.

During public comment, residents asked how the proposal would affect billing methods and discounts. Tracy Lewis, a Springfield Township resident, asked whether the county would retain winter averaging for wastewater charges; Shaw replied that Lucas County would continue winter averaging and that the county’s billing is based on winter flows (December–February), excluding activities such as filling a pool. Shaw also noted the county can certify unpaid water and sewer bills as a tax lien per the Ohio Revised Code, which reduces the need for outside collection practices cited in other jurisdictions.

Commissioners asked whether revenue raised by the water and sewer funds could be used outside those enterprise funds; Shaw said the funds are enterprise funds governed by state statute and must be used for water or wastewater purposes only. He explained, "Any funds that come through related to water have to be for used for water. Anything for wastewater or sanitary sewer have to be used for wastewater." The board did not take action at the hearing; the item will appear as a resolution for formal consideration on July 1, 2025.

Questions from attendees and commissioners also addressed who would pay the increased costs and available discounts. Shaw said the county maintains discounts for homeowners 65 and older, disabled persons and qualifying veterans, and noted a homestead exemption tied to low-to-moderate income limits posted on the county website.

Shaw emphasized that the county has not requested a rate increase in about a decade and that planning, preventive maintenance and grant-seeking have delayed the need to ask customers to pay more. He said the recommended increases are intended to fund preventive maintenance, capital improvements and debt service so the county can avoid larger failures and higher costs later.