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Georgetown Municipal Water & Sewer adopts FY2027 budget, expands staffing and PFAS mitigation planning
Summary
Georgetown Municipal Water & Sewer Service presented and council approved the FY2027 operating and capital budget, including rate-driven revenue increases, four new utility positions to address service growth, PFAS mitigation planning funded in part by state allocation and settlements, and major capital items including completion of Plant 1.
Council reviewed a detailed FY2027 operating and capital budget for Georgetown Municipal Water and Sewer Service (GMWSS) and approved the proposal after discussion on rates, staffing, capital projects and PFAS mitigation.
Finance director Jeff Nutter and utility director Chase (presenting the GMWSS budget) said FY27 total revenue is projected just under $27.1 million, driven primarily by rate revenue and planned connection fees. Chase described the SBR (sequential batch reactor) startup at Plant 1 and noted the adopted rate ordinance includes a March 1, 2027 step in the multi-year rate plan; he summarized assumptions about connection-fee projections and the board’s conservative planning.
To address a 30-year trend in customer growth that outpaces prior staffing increases, management requested four new positions: a sewer-collections operator trainee, a full-time safety and risk manager, an additional customer-service representative and a field public-service worker to meet customers and handle work orders. Chase said collections currently rely on eight operators and that routine weekly tasks consume most available staff hours, reducing time for preventative maintenance; the proposed additions aim to reduce service risk and long-term maintenance costs.
On PFAS/PAS mitigation, staff noted receipt of a state allocation ($275,000) and settlement proceeds from manufacturer class actions; those funds will support planning and initial engineering for PFAS treatment, with a compliance target the city intends to meet in advance of or by federal/state deadlines. Major FY27 capital items highlighted included Plant 1 completion (final closeout costs), a Water Street interceptor replacement project partially funded by federal/ARPA cleaner-water funding, a southside elevated storage tank planning effort, and advanced metering infrastructure rollout.
During final action the council adopted the GMWSS FY2027 budget by recorded vote (transcript shows a 7–1 result). Staff will bring follow-up materials on staffing implementation, a PFAS alternatives analysis and a detailed meter-audit scope.
