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Waterville adopts water regulation changes, adds $100 meter-cleaning fee and default 5,000-gallon sewer charge
Summary
The Waterville City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 51.020-2025 to amend general water regulations, adding a $100 special cleaning fee for city meter cleanings and charging an average 5,000 gallons of sewer use when a meter is plugged and not reading. Council agreed staff will allow timeline extensions for homeowners actively connecting to city water.
The Waterville City Council on July 1 unanimously adopted Ordinance 51.020-2025, amending Section 51.02(A) of the city's general water regulations to reference fees on the city fee schedule and authorize specific charges for meter maintenance and non-reading meters.
The change followed a public hearing in which Gail Hildebrandt, speaking for property owner Ernie Fortner, described difficulty connecting a home to city water because of high dewatering costs and uncertain contractor quotes. Hildebrandt said the owner was already about $30,000 into the project and worried about meeting the ordinance's 90-day hookup timeline. Council members said they would allow extensions in cases where homeowners are actively working to connect.
City Attorney Jason Moran and Administrator Teresa Hill recommended placing the new charges on the city fee schedule rather than embedding dollar amounts in the ordinance, so fees can be adjusted annually without repeating ordinance changes. The council adopted language that links the regulation to the fee schedule and approved two specific charges: a $100 special cleaning fee when city staff must clean a plugged meter, and a default sewer-charge equivalent to 5,000 gallons when a meter is plugged and not reading.
Councilmember Dave Wollin moved to adopt the ordinance with the fee-schedule language; Tim Smith seconded. The motion carried 5-0. Smith then moved, and Wollin seconded, to set the special cleaning fee at $100 per occurrence; that motion carried 5-0. The council also approved a motion to charge a monthly average of 5,000 gallons for sewer use when a meter cannot be read, carried 5-0.
Moran said the city should also consider broader policy changes aimed at discouraging reliance on private wells, including creating a separate surcharge for properties not connected to city water. Hill explained that plugging and meter maintenance frequency depends on well conditions, and that the fee-schedule approach will allow administrative updates without further ordinance amendments.
The ordinance adoption concludes the public hearing process. The fee amounts will be placed on the city fee schedule and administered by city staff; council members said they would work with residents who demonstrate active efforts to connect to city water.
