Totalcutt water official outlines $12 million plant expansion and likely rate increases
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Summary
Pat Sager of the Totalcutt Water & Sewer Board told the council the utility plans to expand Plant 2 from 10M to 15M gallons a day, estimated engineering and expansion at roughly $12 million and warned of a near‑term ~6% rate increase and likely continued yearly hikes to maintain reserves and fund the project.
Pat Sager, speaking as a representative of the Totalcutt Water & Sewer Board, briefed the DuBois County Council on Jan. 22 about system capacity, aging infrastructure and proposed upgrades.
Sager said Plant 1 is about 50 years old and cannot be taken offline for a full rebuild without backup capacity; engineers are designing an expansion for Plant 2 that would increase capacity from 10 million to 15 million gallons per day. He estimated the expansion’s total project cost at about $12 million, with approximately 25% attributable to early engineering and related expenses. Sager said the utility is exploring financing options, including bank loans or issuing bonds, and warned that federal funding has become less available.
As a near‑term measure, Totalcutt is considering a water‑rate increase it estimated at roughly 6% (about $0.28 per 1,000 gallons in Sager’s example, which would raise a $40 monthly bill to about $42.80). He said smaller annual increases could continue while the utility builds reserves and pursues financing. Sager also described the wastewater (sewage) plant’s aging components and the potential adoption of newer treatment systems better able to handle inflows during rain events.
Council members asked about pretreatment by nearby suppliers, reserve balances, and the timing of the engineer’s work. Sager said Totalcutt typically carries $8–$10 million cash on hand for operations and that federal funding reductions mean the utility will likely rely on internal reserves and external financing for capital work.
