OWENSBORO, KY (WFIE) -
Owensboro residents will have to pay more for sewer service in the future.
The Regional Water Resource Agency says it has to raise rates to stay on budget. The question is how much more will customers pay?
RWRA officials say they haven't raised rates since 2007, and that could be changing in the near future.
When you compare Owensboro with other similar size cities, sewer rates aren't even close. Owensboro residents get the best deal hands down.
RWRA's David Hawes says, "RWRA's rate was $17.85," a month.
"The average was $36.70. We're below half of the typical average. We'd like to think it's because we're efficient," Hawes said.
But efficiency can only get you so far, RWRA can't make up for the money lost with what it has to pay for to take care of the sewers.
"We've had increases in our costs associated with treating the water like electrical rates, chemical costs. We're using reserve funds to continue our operations and at this point we've actually deferred projects and expenditures in order to meet budget," Hawes said.
That means rates must go up for residents.
"I don't like it. I don't want to pay more. Seems like once you raise the cost on one thing then you have to worry about the cost of gas going up, the cost of groceries going up," resident Betty Cooper said.
To determine how much rates must jump, Hawes said, "we're conducting a study of all the things we charge. Probably by the end of the year, first part of next year that's completed. We'll just present that to our board and then forward it to elected bodies that'll sit together as the rate review board to make that determination as to when it would be effective."
The last time RWRA conducted a study this detailed was 2005.
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