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ELKINS -- Elkins City Council will vote Thursday on the first reading of an ordinance that will create a series of sewer rate increases for customers over the next three years that will total a 42% rate hike.
Following a recommendation from the Elkins Sanitary Board, which manages the city's sewer system, the City Council will vote this week on the first reading of Ordinance 350.
The three increases include a 15% increase effective May 15, a 12% increase effective May 15, 2027, and a 15% increase effective May 15, 2028.
Elkins City Council approved a 32.5% sewage rate increase in April 2023. Before that, a 21.5% increase in the sewage rate was approved by council in November 2019.
A final decision will be made with a vote on the second and last reading of the proposed ordinance during the March 5 meeting. If City Council approves Ordinance 350, customers will see the new rate on their utility bills beginning on June 30.
A public hearing concerning the proposed rate increase will take place just before the March 5 council meeting at 7 p.m. at the Phil Gainer Community Center.
"We know this is not welcome news," a City of Elkins press release about the rate increases states. "The City last increased sewer rates in 2023, and we understand the potential financial impact on Elkins' residents and businesses.
"This necessary step, however, reflects a challenge facing communities across West Virginia and the entire U.S. Aging sewer infrastructure, changes in environmental regulations and the rising cost of materials all require significant investments in ensuring a reliable and compliant wastewater system for Elkins' future."
City Council approved a 32.5% sewage rate increase in April 2023. Before that, a 21.5% increase in the sewage rate was approved by council in November 2019.
The City of Elkins press release breaks down what the new sewer rate increases will look like for a residential customer using an average of 3,400 gallons per month. For those customers, the proposed increases would approximately amount to $7.62, or an additional $0.26 a day in 2026, $7.01, or an additional $0.24 a day in 2027, and $9.82, or an additional $0.33 a day in 2028.
The City also provided a chart that compares the current rate and proposed rate increases on the City of Elkins website.
"The calculation of each customer's monthly bill depends on the number of gallons of water used," the release states. "All customers are charged for either 1,500 gallons or actual usage, whichever is higher... Keep in mind that an Elkins utility bill includes charges not only for sewer but also water, garbage and the Fire & Rescue Service Fee. Only the charge for sewer would be affected by this rate increase."
The release states that the proposed rate increase is considered necessary due to certain factors that are currently adding to the Wastewater Department's ongoing costs. This includes technology upgrades to improve operations and security, staffing increases to cover regulatory demands, wage increases to better retain system personnel, increases in daily operation and maintenance costs, aging infrastructure repairs and continuing regulatory demands from the state of West Virginia and federal government.
Elkins' wastewater treatment plant was constructed in 1986, and although it received a partial upgrade in 2008, many of its original fixtures and infrastructure components were left in service, the release states. This means the treatment plant "needs significant modernization," the release reads.
The rate increase would also support ongoing infrastructure improvements that reduce sewer overflows, safeguard the Tygart Valley River and ensure long-term environmental stewardship in cooperation with the U.S. EPA, according to the release.
The release also addressed the question of why the city cannot move money from elsewhere in the budget to cover these costs.
"By law, the City of Elkins cannot use general City funds to cover the costs of operating its utilities," the release states. "State law requires that these services be paid for entirely by the customers who use them. Just like Elkins' water and trash services, the sewer system must be self-supporting and cannot receive funding from other City departments."
Elkins City Council will meet Thursday at the Phil Gainer Community Center at 7 p.m.