The Schuylkill County Municipal Authority is increasing water rates.
Sewer rates are also increasing for different sewer areas.
The authority voted Tuesday to increase water and sewer rates for customers at its meeting Tuesday. Rate increases are effective Aug. 1 but will be reflected on bills due on or after Sept. 30.
“I wholeheartedly applaud this. This is what we got to do,” board chairman Franklin K. Schoeneman said.
Before voting, the board talked about the effect of the rate hike and what it would mean to the customers.
“This is the most important thing we are doing today affecting the most people,” Schoeneman said.
A handout provided says the “adjustment” for the water includes an increase from $39.60 per quarter for customers using the allowable minimum of 900 cubic feet or 6,700 gallons for the specified time period.
“Customers using the minimum can expect to see their bills increase by only $28.80 per year, $7.20 per quarterly billing cycle or 8 cents per day. Those customers using more than the allowable minimum will see a higher cost for their usage. A typical family using the average quarterly consumption of 1,400 cubic feet, or about 116 gallons per day, will see their bill increase by 15 cents per day, $13.95 per quarter or $55.80 per year,” according to the statement provided by Patrick Caulfield, executive director of the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority.
In October, the board approved the proposal by Gannett Fleming Valuation and Rate Consultants LLC, Camp Hill, to conduct a water and wastewater rate study. Caulfield said previously the study is to see if rates are in line.
The last rate increase was in 2011, The Republican-Herald archives show, which amounted to $50.20 more per year for a typical family using an average of 170 gallons a day. Those using the permitted minimum of 6,700 gallons per quarter noticed a $2.40-a-year increase.
“We are very, very comfortable with that increase,” Caulfield said. He said 37 percent of the residential customer rate is billed on the quarterly minimum amount.
Costs to comply with federal and state requirements and maintenance costs for the water system are reasons for the rate hike.
“This is the recommendation that will take us out at least three more years,” Caulfield said, adding later that does not mean that there would not be an increase in the future.
Caulfield said the municipal authority is still “even with this proposed increase, clearly the lowest minimum residential water rate that we could find.”
He said some of the infrastructure is old and in need of repair when something goes wrong.
“We to this day have pipe in the ground since the 1850s that we use as our vertebrae and our life blood for our transmission mains,” Caulfield said.
Just this past weekend there were issues with two pipes. Water was shut off in certain areas of Pottsville. Those areas affected are still under a boil water advisory if they experienced a complete loss of water until at least Thursday, Caulfield said.
On the sewer side, rates are increasing for those sewer divisions service by the following areas: Branch/Cass from $58 a month (in 2010) to $70 a month, Tremont from $45 (in 2007) to $58 a month and Gordon, which was restructured to $11.30 for 1,000 gallons for Highridge and pumped sections and $3.50-$3.75 for 1,000 gallons for gravity sections.
“These systems have to be able to be self sustaining,” Caulfield said.
Caulfield said it is less expensive for gravity sections then to treat sections from Highridge because of where it is located.
The board also gave its approval to begin preparation for an acquisition agreement for negotiation with the Pine Grove Township Authority, Foster Township supervisors and Gordon Borough. The board also gave approval for the authority to set up a meeting with the Municipal Authority of Ringtown to discuss an operations agreement and the potential for an acquisition of the system.
“All of these entities have come to us,” Caulfield said.
He said in order for the authority to be interested it has to be beneficial for SCMA.