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Fife’s sewer plan flags $34.6M in capital needs; consultants present 3.5% and 5.4% rate scenarios
Summary
Consultants told Fife council the updated sewer plan identifies roughly $34.6 million in capital projects (2026–2034), recommends one additional operations staff (raising the sewer team from 3 to 4), and presented two rate scenarios that would raise the typical single‑family sewer bill from $120.02 in 2026 to roughly $124.22 (CPI scenario) or $126.46 (baseline) in 2027; the city plans to finalize the plan by July.
Consultants from Parametrix and Bowman presented a comprehensive update of Fife’s sewer system plan and a financial analysis showing significant near‑term capital needs and options for how the city might fund them.
Joel Inke of Parametrix summarized system assets and condition: "Your sewer system has 13 individual pump stations, has 33 miles of gravity sewer main, and about 8 and a half miles of force main, and about nearly 1,000 manholes," he said, and noted the last full plan update was in 1998 (with a 2014 amendment). Parametrix identified areas projected to reach surcharge conditions (defined in the plan as pipes at about 80% full at peak hour), called out I&I (inflow & infiltration) issues tied to high groundwater, and listed major CIP items including force main work associated with the Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge replacement.
Tim Osborne, assistant public works director, described schedule and named pump‑station projects already under way: upgrades to Pump Stations 2 and 3 will be combined into a new Pump Station 15; planned flow meters and ongoing SCADA telemetry will improve future flow modeling.
Chris Gonzalez of Bowman presented the financial analysis. He said the capital forecast, adjusted for inflation, totals about $34,600,000 through 2034, with a little more than half for collection system improvements, about $12,000,000 for pump‑station upgrades and additional annual programs. On rates, Bowman ran two sample scenarios: a baseline indexed formula that produces a weighted average annual rate increase of about 5.4% (the firm estimated a 2027 single‑family bill of roughly $126.46), and a CPI‑only indexing scenario that would produce an estimated 2027 bill around $124.22 and about $10,000,000 less cumulative revenue over the 10‑year horizon.
GFCs (general facility charges) were also reviewed. Bowman estimated a cost basis of about $62,963,000 and capacity of roughly 10,465 ERUs, yielding a theoretical maximum sewer GFC of about $6,015 per ERU. The current GFC is $4,015; an inflation‑adjusted midpoint example Bowman ran was $5,078 per ERU. Gonzalez noted raising GFCs is a policy choice that shifts more cost to new development and may reduce long‑term rate pressure on existing customers.
Councilmembers asked detailed questions about the assumptions driving the model, the distribution of capital needs over the 10‑year horizon (Fishing Wars force‑main/bridge work and a $3M Firwood extension were called out as large items), and whether conversions from septic or additional annexations would change demand assumptions. Staff and consultants said the utility can cash‑fund planned work under the presented scenarios and that the most significant near‑term risk to the schedule is external review time from state agencies. Consultants recommended keeping an ongoing small capital program and improving metering and monitoring so future plans rely on better data.
Next steps: the sewer plan is scheduled to be finalized by July; staff will return with recommended rate and GFC proposals later in the process for council consideration. The consultants noted council could choose to defer a 2027 increase (a one‑year "holiday"), but doing so would draw down reserves and push required increases into later years.
