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Jeff presents $10.36 million FY27 wastewater proposal; no rate increase, ordinance would lower well-user billing threshold
Summary
At a May 5 West Warwick council hearing, Jeff presented the Westport treatment facility’s FY27 spending authorization request of $10,358,608, a 1.9% decrease from the prior year; staff proposed no rate increase and an ordinance change to bill well users on 9,000 rather than 10,000 cubic feet, affecting about 121 customers.
Jeff presented the wastewater facilities’ proposed FY27 spending authorization of $10,358,608 and said the request represents a 1.9% decrease from last year’s approved budget. "We're requesting a spending authorization of $10,358,608," Jeff said, and added that the proposal does not include a rate increase.
Jeff said the existing rate structure — $4.80 per 100 cubic feet billed on 90% of water usage and a $120 debt-service charge per equivalent dwelling unit — would remain unchanged under the proposal. He also asked the council to amend the ordinance that determines how well users are billed, lowering the billed volume from 10,000 cubic feet to 9,000 cubic feet "to more accurately reflect the consumption for the average user." Jeff said the change would affect about 121 customers and amount to roughly a $48 decrease per well user per year, producing an approximate net revenue loss of $5,800 for the treatment fund.
The director of administration added context for the overall budget figures, saying the 1.9% decrease equals about $202,000. He flagged a contractual increase in the sludge-removal line driven by Epic, and said staff do not expect the plant to remove substantially more sludge next year; the cost line rose because of contract terms rather than increased volume.
Council members asked for clarification on the per-user savings and on specific line items. One councilor asked what well users could expect; Jeff reiterated the $48 reduction estimate. During public comment a resident praised the decrease, saying it appeared to be the first reduction in about a decade.
The budget presentation did not include a final vote on the FY27 spending authorization during this session; staff noted the council’s formal budget vote is scheduled for the May 12 meeting. Next steps: staff will incorporate council questions and return for the scheduled budget vote.
