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Hatfield council orders review after $50,000 quarterly sewer charge increase
Summary
Engineering staff reported a roughly $50,000 increase in the borough's sewer bill from the last quarter (about $200,000 annualized), prompting an in-house audit, checks for pools or leaks, and consideration of a deeper paid study estimated at about $15,000.
Hatfield Borough engineering staff told council they found a roughly $50,000 increase in sewer charges for the most recent quarter and are investigating the cause. Staff said the jump—if sustained—would amount to about $200,000 a year and could materially affect the borough's budget.
Engineers performed on-site checks, metering recalibration and a preliminary review and reported no single commercial outlier; instead, dozens of residential properties were showing higher usage than expected. Staff said they are conducting a deeper in-house audit and will check rental records (education/demographic changes can increase EDU counts), pool-fill reports, and leak reports supplied by the regional water provider. The borough noted that North Penn Water notifies the borough when it issues leak-related credits.
Council discussed whether to pay for an outside, comprehensive audit. Engineering said a full paid deep-dive could cost about $15,000; staff will weigh that cost against the likelihood of recapturing funds or adjusting rates. The council did not take immediate action beyond directing staff to continue the investigation and report back to committee.
