SCOTT TWP.- Despite objections of residents Friday night, the Scott Twp. Sewer and Water Authority voted to raise monthly sewer rates by more than 12 percent to help pay costs associated with the system that was put in place last year.
Beginning with November's bill, sewer users will pay $88 per equivalent dwelling unit, a standard measure of sewer usage. Sewer authority Chairman Michael Grant said the original monthly bill of $78.40 per EDU - one of the highest in the county - wasn't enough to meet expenses.
Most single-family houses are billed as a single EDU, while apartment buildings, schools and some businesses are billed as multiple EDUs.
"It's unfortunate. No one wanted to do this," Mr. Grant said. "But we're slowly going bankrupt."
Certified public accountant Jeffrey Webb evaluated the sewer authority's expenses and recommended the $9.60 increase. However, he did not provide any documentation at the meeting used to justify the rate hike. Three of the four sewer authority members supported the increase, while Stanley Stracham abstained, saying he preferred to see the documentation.
Residents at the meeting didn't welcome the increased cost for the relatively new sewer system. Scott Twp. resident Linda Morrow said people with limited incomes struggle to pay the current bill and may not be able to afford the increase.
"I think this is a bunch of crap," she said.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced approval of a $1 million, low-interest loan to the township to complete the sewer system and to help pay for repairing trenches of 19 roads damaged during construction. Just under $3 of the rate increase will cover repayment of the new USDA loan, Mr. Grant said. The rest will go to operational costs, he added.
The rate increase is just the latest for the troubled $23.8 million central sewer project, part of a plan to address the state Department of Environmental Protection's concerns regarding malfunctioning septic systems polluting Chapman Lake and Griffin Pond. Construction on the system was deemed complete in August 2011; it provides sewer service to about 1,350 homes and businesses.
The sewer authority has also been coping with months of chronic malfunctions, costly change orders from contractors and complaints from residents. Earlier this year, Scott Twp. supervisors approved the hiring of an independent engineer to review sewer plans. In recent months, the sewer authority has held executive sessions related to litigation, members said at Friday's meeting.
Contact the writer: rward@timesshamrock.com, @rwardTT on Twitter