HADLEY — Water and sewer rates could both be going up again this year as a way to sustain the enterprise funds and make sure there is sufficient money to cover operational costs and ongoing maintenance, Hadley officials said.
The possibility of a 15 percent increase in the sewer rate and a 5 percent increase in the water rate, which would be identical to increases approved by the Select Board in May 2018, would add nearly $100 to the $809 bill for an average resident who has both municipal water and sewer.
A public hearing begins at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Town Hall.
A 15 percent increase in the sewer rate would raise the rate for residential users from $5.82 per 100 cubic feet to $6.69 per 100 cubic feet, while commercial rates would go from $5.97 and $6.67 per 100 cubic feet to $6.86 and $7.67 per 100 cubic feet. The average user’s annual sewer bill would rise by $69.13.
A 5 percent increase in the water rate would raise all rates, but how much residential and commercial users would pay depends on how much water is used.
At the lower, “lifeline” level, in which up to 499 cubic feet of water can be used each quarter, the rate would rise from $2.52 to $2.65. At the “baseline” level, with 500 to 4,124 cubic feet of water used, the rate would go from $3.86 to $4.05, and at the “conservation” level, 4,125 cubic feet of water and above, the rate would increase from $5.43 to $5.70.
There are similar tiers for commercial users.
The average user’s annual water bill would go up by $27.85.
Town Administrator David Nixon said at the board’s May 1 meeting that the adjustments should be on the table.
“We need to do some sort of action, at least on sewer just on operational, let alone the future capital costs that we have,” Nixon said.
Nixon said there is also a need to be ready for infrastructure improvements for the water system.
“We have to be thinking about how do we position ourselves for the future,” Nixon said.
Department of Public Works Director Chris Okafor will bring a recommendation to the Select Board in advance of the meeting.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
