The Oak Ridge City Council unanimously approves water and sewer rate increases during a Monday night meeting. Pictured above from left are Council members Anne Garcia Garland, Ellen Smith, Chuck Hope, Mayor Tom Beehan, and Council member Jane Miller.
After several months of discussion, the Oak Ridge City Council unanimously approved significant water and sewer rate increases during a brief meeting Monday.
Information presented by the city showed rates could rise between 28 percent to 35 percent, depending upon a variety of factors, including the total number of gallons used. There will be a minimum monthly increase of $7 for the first 2,000 gallons of water and sewer, but the increases will be larger for bigger customers.
The first phase of the higher rates goes into effect May 1, and they will rise again in 2013.
Council members postponed a decision on the rate hikes during their regular April 9 meeting to permit more time to study the proposal.
The city staff has said the increases are necessary to maintain adequate cash reserves and also pay for maintenance and capital improvement projects, including those required by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency order that requires Oak Ridge to repair all sewer system overflows by 2015.
Repairs to the city’s 70-year-old sewer system will require more than $18 million in borrowed money during the next four years, and fixes to the water system will require an additional $16 million, Oak Ridge Finance Director Janice E. McGinnis wrote in a memo to City Manager Mark S. Watson.
“This really is in response to the order that was signed with the EPA to upgrade the water and sewer, particularly the sewer,” Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan said before a pair of 7-0 votes on the rate hikes Monday. “You’ve got to pay for it somehow.”
kay williamson says
Why don’t we as citizen raise more question, Where are you all at?? Why don’t the DOE pay for the repairs of the three plants at least, Oak Ridge needs a raise but the council and city has know these problems have exist for the last ten years, once again, please keep voting for the ones who have been in way tooooooo LONG!!!!