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Council to consider modest water and sewer rate increases to shore up plant costs
Summary
Councilors proposed nominal increases — about $2 on water and $1 on sewer — to cover rising chemical and maintenance costs tied to a new water plant; staff estimated the typical household bill would rise roughly $12 annually and recommended mailing notice to residents before enactment.
Brooklawn officials said they will place separate water and sewer ordinances on the next council meeting agenda proposing modest baseline increases to help cover higher chemical costs, scheduled maintenance and interest payments tied to the borough’s new water plant.
Staff described a proposal to raise the water baseline by roughly $2 and the sewer baseline by about $1. Officials estimated the combined effect on a typical household would be roughly $12 per year. The council discussed timing and public notice; staff said notices would be mailed with other notifications and the effective date would coincide with the first billing after the second reading, likely April.
Council members said the increases are intended to maintain reserve funds and to preempt larger hikes later, citing required valve and piping replacements, generator replacement costs (a quoted generator at about $62,000) and other capital needs. Staff said the borough has surplus funds but is losing several thousand dollars a year in the utility surplus and recommended small, predictable increments rather than larger one-time increases.
The council agreed to add two ordinances — one each for water and sewer rate changes — to the next meeting agenda for formal introduction and subsequent readings.
What’s next: staff will prepare ordinance language, include notice in the regular USDA mailings to residents, and present the ordinances for first reading at the next formal council meeting.
