Utilities committee recommends 5% water-rate increase; council posts $3.59 million wastewater payment

The Greenville utilities committee recommended a 5% increase in water rates and other fee adjustments, and council approved supplemental postings to the wastewater capital-improvement fund tied to an ongoing solids-handling project.

Clarence Godwin, utilities committee chair, delivered the committee's report and said the panel "recommends that the water rates will increase 5%." The report also recommended raising the stormwater fee from $2.95 to $3.10 per month, reducing the sewer tapping fee from $1,350 to $600, and holding the water tap-in fee at $900. The committee noted roughly 2,000 lead service lines in the city will need future replacement and estimated about $2.5 million will be required to replace aging meters when their life cycle ends.

Auditor Mrs. Davis told council the city's state audit is posted and clean. She described the supplemental ordinance that council approved on the floor: appropriations include $8,445 in donated funds for fire-department educational materials, a $100 transfer to cover an erroneous pool-party charge refund, and a posting to the wastewater capital improvement fund to reflect payments the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA) made on the city's behalf. Council discussed the wastewater posting as part of ongoing project accounting; Mrs. Davis said the $3,593,835.87 figure represents a posting to catch the city's books up to date for that contract payment and is in line with the overall project estimate of about $20 million.

Council members asked how the recommended rate changes translate to household bills. The committee reported that a 5% water-rate increase would raise the average household bill by about $1.54 per month (noted in the committee report as an average household increase totaling $33.60 per year after the adjustment); the committee said the rate changes would take effect March 1, 2026. Members also pressed staff on the long-term plan for lead-line replacement and meter-replacement savings; the committee emphasized that the increases are intended to cover chemical-cost increases, lead-line replacement planning and meter-replacement savings.

The ordinance making the supplemental appropriations (including the wastewater posting) was read and passed by roll call. Council members also discussed that OWDA makes certain project payments directly to contractors and the city must post the revenue and expense on the books as those payments occur; additional postings for the wastewater project are expected as invoices are paid.