Water & sewer rates hiked 36 percent
The Walker County Water and Sewerage Authority, which provides water for about 10,000 customers and sewer service to about 3,500, will charge more — substantially more — for its utilities beginning with May billings.
The WCWSA’s board of directors approved a rate hike of more than 36 percent, saying the it was needed to update its aging system.
County spokesman Joe Legge, in a press release issued March 28, said replacing older galvanized water mains will begin this summer.
These older water mains will be upgraded from twoinch galvanized pipe to six-inch high-pressure polyplastic pipe. Additionally, more valves will also be installed, which should mean fewer customers will have outages or pressure drops when leaks occur and repairs become necessary.
Beginning May 1, these infrastructure repairs will be funded by across-the-board rate increases for residential and commercial customers.
Residential water-only customers now pay a base rate of $11 for the first 1,000 gallons of water used and $3.50 for each additional 1,000 gallons. Those who have sewer service have been paying the same fee, so a home with WCWSA water and sewer would pay a total of $22 for their basic service.
The new base rate for each service will increase to $15. Not only will there be a rate hike, but there will no longer be any water included in that base. The new rates will be charged as soon as a faucet is opened or a toilet is flushed — every drop used will now be billed at $3.50 per 1,000 gallon.
“Continuing to ignore our aging infrastructure would be a disservice to our community and harmful to our public safety,” County Commissioner and WCWSA Board Chair Shannon Whitfield. “In their efforts to avoid a rate increase, the previous board regularly used profits from water sales to cover losses on the sewer side. WCWSA stands to lose $1.3 million this budget year, if we don’t take action. This practice left the prior administration without the funds necessary to properly maintain and upgrade our water system. This neglect has led to more frequent water main breaks and a steady flow of service disruptions for our customers. No one should have to worry about whether they will have water to make coffee, take a shower or save their home from a fire.”