Wilton’s sewer rates are expected to rise $20 per quarter starting the first of the year.
In a meeting of the water and sewer commissioners Sunday, the boards finalized their budgets and whether or not they would require rate increases to cover their costs. The Water Department, which had only a small increase in its budget, is expected to keep its rates steady at $28 per quarter and $3.25 per 1,000 gallons by meter, but expected infrastructure costs on the Sewer Department side are expected to drive up the flat rate from $120 per quarter to $140, with another expected increase scheduled within the next year, according to clerk for both boards and Sewer Commissioner Joanna Eckstrom.
“At this point, both the sewer and water works have developed their budgets for the coming year,” Eckstrom said.
The budgets have not yet been reviewed by the town’s Budget Committee, but because the departments are funded by rate-payers and not tax dollars, the Budget Committee does not have the authority to alter the budgets for either department.
Costs for the sewer department are up this year, Eckstrom said, with the biggest driver being Wilton’s portion of expenses incurred by the Milford waste treatment facility. Wilton is a co-permittee in the facility and owns a share, and is required to contribute to its operational costs. Those increases are what drove the proposed rate increase, Eckstrom said.
The Sewer Department is also looking at several potential expensive infrastructure projects coming down the line. Most urgently, Eckstrom said the town currently has one pump station which has failed and needs repair to prevent sewage from pumping into the Souhegan River.
“That is critical,” Eckstrom said.
The Sewer Commission has the funds to make the repairs, but was scheduled to discuss the matter with the Select Board during its meeting on Monday, after the Ledger-Transcript deadline, to request that $60,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds be made available for the repair.
Eckstrom said the Sewer Commission is also anticipating requesting funding from the next round of ARPA grants, which will be made available to the town next year. The commission intends to ask for a further $75,000 to cover Wilton’s portion of ongoing projects at the Milford wastewater treatment facility. ARPA funding is allowed to be used for infrastructure projects for water and sewer.
The Sewer Department is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed rate increase on Dec. 9, during its regular meeting. If approved, the rate increase would go into effect for the January billing cycle.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.