Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Water Sewer Rates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County consultant says water and sewer rates need updating to meet grant thresholds
Summary
Becky Turner presented a countywide water and sewer rate study, saying the system must incorporate rising purchased-water and wastewater costs (an anticipated 33% increase) and meet minimum rate thresholds to qualify for USDA and other grant and loan programs. No rate vote was taken at the May 4 session.
Becky Turner presented the countywide water and sewer rate study and told commissioners the system covers more than 300 miles of pipe and serves roughly 5,300 meters across a population of about 14,000.
Turner said the study accounts for fixed and variable operating costs as well as the county’s five purchased-water systems and the cost to remove wastewater. “We are anticipating a 33% increase in what we are paying for in those services to purchase water and to take waste away,” Turner said, and she said that increase was incorporated into the proposed rates.
Turner told the board the county has not completed an adequate, comprehensive rate study in several years and that previous rate adjustments were targeted only to meet minimum USDA grant thresholds rather than long‑term fiscal needs. She said water and sewer functions operate as an enterprise fund that must be self-supporting: “If it does not raise its own money, it don't get money,” Turner said.
During questions, commissioners asked about customer counts and billing tiers; Turner said 625 customers receive both water and sewer service and that bills were modeled up to 5,000 gallons per billing cycle. She said the study was done over roughly four to five months and that the figures were reviewed with state-supported agencies to ensure they were representative for grant and loan eligibility.
No formal vote on new rates was taken during the May 4 workshop. Commissioners and staff indicated the rate study will inform future budget decisions and any rate ordinance would return to the board for formal action and public notice.
