Sewer Rate Increase effective January 1, 2008
Payable on Bills Received in April 2008 and thereafter
PRESS RELEASE (issued November 27, 2007)
The DeKalb Sanitary District has determined that the user rates charged for wastewater conveyance and treatment need to be adjusted. Increased expenses for lift station repairs, planned collection system repairs including a leaking laterals program, inflation, as well as declining revenues due to the disconnection of Cortland users, have necessitated this action.
The user rate will increase from $1.60 to $2.00 (+$0.40) per unit of metered water usage. One unit = 100 cubic feet or 748 gallons. The rate increase becomes effective January 1, 2008 and is payable on bills received in April, 2008 and thereafter. For an average family using 30 units (3000 cubic feet or 22,440 gallons) per quarter, the increase will be $12.00 per quarterly billing. This equates to a monthly increase of $4.00.
The DeKalb Sanitary District continues to strive toward enhancing essential services while complying with current and pending environmental protection regulations at the lowest possible cost to our community. Unfortunately, routine costs continue to rise causing maintenance of our system to become ever more expensive, therefore, necessitating this increase.
Graphic Showing Comparison With Neighboring Community's Sewer Use Rates
ORDNANCE NO. 506 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CHARGES FOR THE USE OF AND SERVICE SUPPLIED BY THE DEKALB SANITARY DISTRICT
WHEREAS, DeKalb Sanitary District, DeKalb County, Illinois, is presently operating facilities for the collection and treatment of sewage to promote the health, safety, comfort and convenience of its inhabitants and for the safe-guarding of water resources, and
WHEREAS, it is necessary and in the public interest that user charges be sufficient to pay for the operation, maintenance and replacement expenses of the system, and
WHEREAS, the present user charges as provided in Ordinance No. 259, Section 6, (as amended by Ordinance No. 347, Ordinance No. 372 and Ordinance No. 481) entitled “Wastewater Service Charges” have been determined by the Board of Trustees of the District to be insufficient to pay for the operation, maintenance and replacement expenses of the system including but not necessarily limited to labor, administration expenses, utilities, chemicals, supplies and equipment replacements, and
WHEREAS, it is the duty and responsibility of the Board of Trustees of the DeKalb Sanitary District to establish and maintain user charges sufficient to operate and maintain the facilities of the District;
NOW THEREFORE, it is hereby ordained by the Board of Trustees of the DeKalb Sanitary District, DeKalb, Illinois, as follows:
SECTION 1: That this ordinance is an amendment to Ordinance No. 259 (as amended by Ordinance No. 347, Ordinance No. 372 and Ordinance No. 481) entitled An ordinance amending and replacing Ordinance #219 as amended providing for the regulation and use of public and private sewers and drains, private sewage disposal, the installation and connection of building sewers and the discharge of waters and wastes into the public sewer system of DeKaIb Sanitary District, DeKalb County, Illinois: establishing charges for the use of a service supplied by said system and for connection thereto and providing penalties for violations thereof. That on the effective date of this Ordinance #219 as amended by Ordinance #233, #227, #234, #235 and #253 shall be repealed and replaced by this Ordinance.
SECTION 2: That Section 6, “Wastewater Service Charges”, paragraph D and E, of Ordinance No. 259 (as amended by Ordinance #481) is amended as follows:
D. Wastewater Service Charges - Metered Users: There shall be and there are hereby established wastewater service charges for the use of and for the service supplied by the wastewater facilities of DeKalb Sanitary District to be applied to each user within DeKalb Sanitary District and the Town of Cortland as stated below:
- DeKalb Sanitary District:
- Basic user charge: The basic user charge shall be $7.50 per metered user per quarter.
- Basic user rate: A basic user rate of $1.34 per hundred cubic feet per quarter shall be applied to all wastewater dischargers based upon metered water consumption.
- Debt service rate: A debt service rate of $0.66 per hundred cubic feet per quarter shall be applied to all wastewater discharges based upon metered water consumption.
- Town of Cortland:
- Basic user charge: The basic user charge for the Town of Cortland shall be $5.25 per quarter for the Town.
- Basic user rate: The basic user rate of $1.24 per hundred cubic feet per quarter shall be applied to all discharges as measured by the master flow meter of the Town which shall pay the cost of operation, maintenance and replacement expense.
- Debt service rate: A debt service rate of $0.66 per hundred cubic feet shall be applied to all discharges as measured at the master flow meter of the Town.
Wastewater Service Charge -- Non-metered Residential Users: All non-metered residential users of the wastewater facilities shall pay a minimum flat rate charge of $67.50 per quarter to cover the cost of the basic user charge of $7.50 per quarter, the basic user rate of $1.34 per hundred cubic feet and the debt service rate of $0.66 per hundred cubic feet. The flat rate charge of $67.50 per quarter will allow a maximum use of three thousand (3,000) cubic feet as follows:
- Basic user charge = $ 7.50
- Basic user rate (3,000 cf @ 1.34 per hcf) = $40.20
- Debt service rate (3,000 cf @ 0.66 per hcf) = $19.80
- Total flat rate = $67.50
In the event use of the wastewater facilities is determined by the Manager to be in excess of 3,000 cubic feet per quarter, the Manager may require such flat rate user to install metering devices on the water supply or sewer main to measure the amount of service supplied.
SECTION 3: The effective date of this Ordinance amending Ordinance No. 259 by establishing a change in sanitary sewer user charges shall be January 1, 2008.
This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after passage, approval and publication as of the effective date as stated in this Ordinance.
Passed and approved this 20th day of November, 2007.Signed by Dennis J. Collins, President, DeKalb Sanitary District
Attested by Timothy A. Struthers, Vice President