The water rate would rise 10 percent to $2.17 per 1,000 gallons while the sewer rate would go up 4 percent to 7.17 cents per 1,000 gallons of measured water usage.
By: Linda Seida
STOCKTON Residents will be paying more for water and sewer service if an ordinance introduced by the Borough Council is approved Dec. 19.
The water rate would rise 10 percent to $2.17 per 1,000 gallons. The sewer rate would rise 4 percent to 7.17 cents per 1,000 gallons of measured water usage. Stockton does not use sewer gauges; only water gauges.
The council also proposed increasing the flat rate sewer rental charge from $452 per unit per year to $472.
A public hearing on the rate increase will be held during the council’s Dec. 19 meeting. The rates would become effective immediately upon passage of the ordinance.
Finance Committee Chairman Andrew Giannattasio attributed the increase in water rates to necessary maintenance that has been put off too long and must be undertaken in 2006.
"I think the rates have been very low for a long time," he said. "The objective was to raise rates a little so in a year or two we don’t have to raise them drastically."
He added, "The water authority is on good fiscal ground and generates some revenue but not enough" to cover all the required work, which includes the replacement of some pipes and other maintenance to the water lines, water tower and water tank.
He did not have an estimate of what the maintenance projects would cost the town.
"We have lists of things that (Sewer and Water Supervisor) Bob Ent has told us need to be done, but we just have not been able to do them fiscally," he said.
The sewer rate hike will help cover some of the debt from a $1 million upgrade that has been ongoing for several years.
"The sewer authority has been unable to cover the entire amount of debt for the project," Mr. Giannattasio said.

