By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The typical household in Lawrence may pay an additional $34 in sewer fees for 2009, under an ordinance introduced by Township Council Tuesday night.
A public hearing and final action on the ordinance, which would raise the sewer rate by 6.6 percent — from $3.61 per 100 cubic feet of water to $3.85 — is set for the council’s March 17 meeting. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building.
The typical bill is $505 per year, based on a homeowner’s average use of 14,200 cubic feet of water annually, Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun said. That bill would increase by $34 — from $505 to $539.
The Ewing-Lawrence Sewerage Authority sets its own budget and bills the two townships, Mr. Krawczun said. ELSA’s billing to municipalities is based on the amount of sewage sent to the sewage treatment plan from each township. ELSA calculated that Lawrence’s sewage flow amounts to 41 percent.
Lawrence Township bills property owners and collects the money. It sends the revenue to ELSA. The increase in the sewer rates reflects the need to raise additional money to pay ELSA so the township can cover its share of the budget, Mr. Krawczun said.
Sewer fees are billed separately from property taxes. The sewer bill is due in April and October.

