ALLENTOWN: Residents aghast at sewer rate increase

About 25 residents and business owners showed up at the Feb. 25 Allentown Council meeting to express their grievances

by David Kilby, Special Writer
ALLENTOWN — Borough residents and business owners expressed outrage last week after receiving sewer bills for November through January that in some cases nearly doubled.
   About 25 residents and business owners showed up at the Feb. 25 Allentown Council meeting to express their grievances and demand a change in the ordinance, which called for a base cost of $135 for all units in the borough.
   Under the ordinance, users face further charges according to the additional use of individual units.
   Mayor Stuart Fierstein told residents and business owners that costs for the sewer treatment plant have escalated over the years, partly due to Department of Environmental Protection controls and regulations.
   ”Everything today is far more magnified than when the plant was originally opened,” Mayor Fierstein said, adding that there are now more requirements for water treatment plants. “We have to be able to fund the expenses.”
   In 2011, it cost $720,000 to operate the sewer plant, whereas the costs increased to $740,000 and $773,000 in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
   Explaining the disparity between the usage of resident units and commercial units, the mayor said residential units use between 500 and 15,000 cubic feet of water, while commercial units on average use twice the range.
   Last year, due to the use disparities prior to the current sewer rate ordinance, the borough charged commercial units at a much higher rate than residential units, but this caused several small business owners who didn’t use much water to complain.
   In response, the borough revised the ordinance and established the flat rate of $135 while charging for additional use.
   ”We made a commitment to refine (the ordinance) so that everybody paid a fair share,” the mayor said. “We’re going to continue to take these complaints as they come in, and we’re going to try to answer all of them.”
   He said the borough is also looking at credit card payments as a way of speeding up the payment process.
   ”No one knew in advance how this was going to play out,” he added. “It makes you think of the things you need to do to conserve water use. The borough is going to do everything it can do to keep expenses down.”
   ”The six of us (council members) will have to decide that something has to change,” said Michael Schumacher, council president.
   Resident Thomas Fritts said it would make more sense to have a “moderate increase” over time, and added that the borough could have educated the public better through mailings or other sources.
   ”My bill almost doubled,” Mr. Fritts said, adding that he’s going to check to see if his meter is working properly.
   He also said problems with sewer treatment plants can be found in municipalities across the country.
   ”A lot of towns did a 6 percent increase over four to five years,” he said.
   ”The problem is not conservation or people using too much water,” said resident Wil Burkowski. “Something is happening with our sewer plant. We got leaks in our distribution system for eight years now.”
   He said what residents use and what ends up in the treatment plant “has to add up” and it doesn’t.
   ”It’s way off,” Mr. Burkowski said. “That’s your problem. I’ve been in here two years talking about this.”
   Mayor Fierstein said tentative repairs needed for the plant have not been factored into the bill, and when the plant needs such repairs the borough pays for them as a capital improvement.
   Resident Robert Cheff said his annual bill went from $720 to over $1,400.
   ”I don’t understand why you’re doing this in one swoop,” Mr. Cheff said, suggesting capping bill increases at 25 percent.
   ”I understand my rate has to go up… but this is shameful,” he added. “It’s shameful to put that much of an increase on us.”