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Fort Wayne sewer customers will begin paying nearly $5 more each month for service this summer.
The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to raise city sewer rates 86 percent through 2013.
The first increase, set for July, will raise bills 22.5 percent; customers will see it on August statements. The average residential customer, who uses 5,000 gallons of water a month, would pay $4.28 more each month under the first increase and $16.30 more a month in 2013.
The rate increases are needed to finance a $240 million federally mandated program to prevent raw sewage from flowing into the city’s rivers.
Currently, the city dumps more than 1 billion gallons of untreated stormwater and raw sewage into the three area rivers each year. This happens about 70 times a year when rain floods the city’s older combined sewer system, forcing the excessive mixture of rain and sewage into the rivers.
Councilwoman Karen Goldner, D-2nd, said she understood raising rates was difficult but contended it must be done to meet federal requirements and avoid fines.
“We have no other responsible option other than to proceed with the rate increase,” she said.
A dozen people spoke to the council during a public hearing, with the vast majority speaking in favor of the plan. Most of the speakers were involved in citizen sewer groups and said the work is necessary to reduce river pollution and sewer backups into homes.
Donna Shaffer, of Randall Road, said she understood the reasons for the increase, but she said sewer costs at her business are more than at her home.
“I caution you to please consider what this is doing to small business,” she said.
Councilman Mitch Harper said it is important to invest in the city’s rivers because having ample clean, fresh water will position the Midwest well against other regions of the country.
City Utilities Director Kumar Menon said his staff has been working to keep operating costs low to minimize sewer rates. For example, he said, the acquisition of Aqua Indiana’s north system increased the number of customers by 17 percent, but the city increased staff by less than 1 percent.
Menon committed the city to continue to look for ways to cut costs and seek alternative revenues; a city committee recommended the state approve a local sales tax to help finance the project.
Regardless, though, he said the work must be done not only because it is required but because protecting the environment is the right thing to do.
“A good utility, a good city, has clean rivers,” he said.
