The Township Council introduced an ordinance that could lead to an increase in how much residents pay for water.
By: Joseph Harvie
The Township Council introduced an ordinance Tuesday that could mean a 21.9 percent quarterly increase in the amount residents pay for water.
If approved, billing for water utilities would change from a flat rate to one based on usage. A public hearing and vote are expected to take place June 7.
Under the ordinance, there would be a 10 percent increase in the base rate for single-family dwellings with either a Â-inch or ¾-inch meter from $9.75 to $10.73.
According to the ordinance, a customer using up to 18,000 gallons of water a quarter would be charged $2.15 per 1,000 gallons; between 18,001 and 50,000 gallons, $2.45 per 1,000 gallons; between 50,001 and 100,000 gallons, $2.75 per 1,000 gallons; and a customer using more than 100,000 gallons, $3.05 per 1,000 gallons.
Township Chief Financial Officer Joe Monzo said in April that the average township family uses 19,000 gallons of water a year. Township residents currently pay $1.96 per 1,000 gallons and a $9.75 quarterly base charge if they have a Â-inch or ¾-inch meter.
Residents and businesses with a 1-inch meter pay a $17.54 base charge, which will be increased under the new rates to $19.30.
Under the current rate, the average customer pays about $47 a quarter in water utility fees.
Under the new rate the same customer would pay about $57.28 a quarter in water utilities fees.
Under the ordinance, quarterly sewer base charges for single-family homes also would increase by about 10 percent from $86.16 to $94.78.
Sewer usage rates would also increase according to the ordinance. The rate for the first 10,000 gallons of sewage water would increase by 9 percent from $48.46 to $53.31. The rate for additional sewage in excess of 10,000 will increase by about 10 percent from $4.04 to $4.44.

