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Port Orchard staff propose consumption-based sewer rates; high-use accounts would pay more
Summary
City staff presented a move from a flat bimonthly sewer charge toward a consumption-based rate tied to winter water usage and equivalent residential units (ERUs); the proposal would lower many residential bills in the near term but increase costs for high-use commercial accounts and the county jail.
City public works and finance staff presented an update on a proposed overhaul of Port Orchard’s sewer-rate structure, recommending a shift from a largely flat, bimonthly charge toward a consumption-based model aligned to winter water use and equivalent residential units (ERUs).
Dennis Ryan, Public Works Director, said the city’s consultant (FCS Group) analyzed proportional cost of service and found residential customers have been shouldering a larger share of costs than the methodology indicates is equitable. Ryan said the proposed design would use wintertime water consumption to estimate sewer effluent for customers and allocate charges accordingly.
Noah Crocker, Finance Director, explained technical aspects: nonresidential customers were modeled at an average of…
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