By Kim Siebert MacPhail
Although it was discussed at the June 17 meeting, the Selectmen were unable to set the town’s water and sewer rates until after the MWRA finalized its own pricing. At the July 1 meeting, Victor Garofalo, the Town’s Director of Finance, proposed an overall increase of 2.3% over FY13 for combined water and sewer for the average user.
Garofalo proposed—and the Selectmen approved— the following rates for the coming year:
Water:
- Base cost~ $35.00/year or $17.50 per 6 month billing cycle
- R1~ $1.20/100 cubic feet up to 2,000 cubic feet
- R2~ $5.70/100 cubic feet over 2,000 cubic feet
Irrigation/second meter
- Base cost~ $35.00/year or $17.50 per 6 month billing cycle plus
- $8.00/100 cubic feet for any amount used
[Note: Although a decrease was considered, the irrigation rate will remain at the rate of $8.00 because it was determined that lowering it would adversely affect overall water rates.]
Sewer:
- Base cost~ $45.00/year or $22.50 per 6 month billing cycle
- R1~ $3.30/100 cubic feet up to 2,000 cubic feet
- R2~ $9.40/100 cubic feet over 2,000 cubic feet
Garofalo also reported that the Town, over all, uses less water because conservation efforts have worked and because newly constructed homes include water-saving appliances as a matter of course.
With regard to last summer’s total coliform readings, the Selectmen decided that the cost of the water that was then used to flush the system would not be reflected in the coming year’s rates. Instead, the cost of the excess water has been covered by a Reserve Fund transfer.
Town Engineer Adrienne St. John said at the July 1 meeting that no total coliform has yet been detected in the periodic samples that are drawn from the water supply. This puts the town ahead of last year, when the first positive readings were charted in the month of June.
As a footnote to the water and sewer rate discussion, Garofalo announced that residents will be able to pay their water and sewer and other Town bills on the Town’s website starting Monday, July 8. If paying online, make sure to note that fees can apply and that they differ by type of bill and by payment method. Click here to access the pay online webpage:
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