Darien sewer rates could jump in 2009
DARIEN — The village of Darien will have to increase its sewer revenues by $100,000 in 2009 or risk "going broke," a consultant told the village board Monday night.
The board voted unanimously to assign new Village Administrator Marc Dennison the task of researching options to come up with the revenue other than raising utility rates.
If the village does raise sewer rates, the average household—one that flushes or drains 5,000 gallons per month—would pay about $13.76 more per month. That would be an increase of about 25 percent, village auditor Pat Romenesko said.
The current base rate for sewer users is $20.66 per month with a volume rate of $6.98 per 1,000 gallons, meaning an average user now pays about $55.56 a month, village bookkeeper and utility spokesman Dean Abel said.
Romenesko said the village's sewer utility bill could change depending on how things go in 2009.
"We'd see how the year goes and see if we can tighten up," Romenesko said. "The $100,000 is seriously needed. If you don't raise these rates, frankly, you're going to go broke."
The problem is that an aging system is letting groundwater seep into pipes, Romenesko said. That means the village sewer utility is paying the Walworth County Metropolitan Sewerage District to treat rainwater and groundwater, he said.
Village wells pump about 130,000 gallons of drinking water per day, but about 170,000 gallons of wastewater are ending up at WalCoMet, said Greg Epping, village superintendent of public works.
WalCoMet billed the village $260,000 for the first 10 months of 2008, more than the $196,500 for all of 2007, Romenesko said.
Earlier this year, WalCoMet asked the municipalities in its service area to identify inflow and infiltration problems by Sept. 30.
The village identified some problem spots this summer, particularly clay pipes installed in 1970 that could be responsible for much of the seepage, Epping previously told The Janesville Gazette.
Some concrete pipes are in poor condition and are cracked in some places. The newest mains are plastic and are working fine, he said.
The district told municipalities in its service area to come up with a plan to reduce inflow and infiltration by March 2010. WalCoMet expects repairs or replacements completed by the end of 2013.
Engineering firm Crispell Snyder in August recommended the village repair the cracked and leaking sewer mains and associated manholes at a cost of about $120,000. Replacement of the oldest sewer mains would cost $1.4 million.
Trustee Craig McCue asked why the village couldn't use its reserve fund to cover part of the sewer bill.
Romenesko said that might not be good practice. The reserve fund has its own problems, he said.
The fund balance is $85,000, he said. Estimating the village's operating budget at $1.3 million, the balance should be closer to $200,000, he said.
Feb 12, 2009 at 5:18 a.m.
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Do you understand how the billing works...if you use 1900 gallons this month you will be billed for 1000...if you use 2100 gallons next month you will be billed for 3000 gallons... if you have a discrepancy all you have to do is write down your daily usage off the physical meter every day and turn that in once a month...Dean (the water guy) can clue you in on this...you will only be billed for the exact gallons used then. Every municipality around bills water this way now.
Feb 11, 2009 at 3:21 p.m.
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Some people still don't get it that unless you spend money (i.e. sewer rates) you can't have the money to fix our infrastructure
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