DeKalb CEO proposes 10% annual rate increase for 10 years to fund water, sewer fixes under consent decree

DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Lorraine Cochran Johnson on Tuesday presented a proposed 10% annual rate increase for 10 years — described in the presentation as a “10-by-10” plan — to generate revenue for long-deferred repairs to the county’s water and sewer system and to meet obligations under a modified consent decree.

The proposal would fund capital investments and ongoing work on the county’s aging system, including the Scott Candler water treatment plant and more than 2,500 miles of sewer pipe, Johnson said. "Addressing these issues requires funding and that means a rate increase to implement repairs that will ensure reliable services for generations to come," Johnson said during the presentation.

The CEO and county staff said the county has averaged about 950 water main breaks per year over the last decade and that roughly one-third of the sewer pipes need rehabilitation. Johnson said DeKalb is unique in the metro area for operating with a single water source and treatment facility and that parts of the Scott Candler plant date to the 1940s. The county’s investments since 2017 were described in the presentation as including replacement of some mains and remediation work, but staff said more sustained funding is needed to meet federal compliance deadlines under the modified consent decree.

Why it matters: County staff said failing to secure sufficient funding could jeopardize compliance deadlines, harm the county’s credit rating and increase borrowing…