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Water and sewer rates set for FY11

Date: 6/7/2010

June 7, 2010.

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



LONGMEADOW -- Starting July 1, residents will once again see new water and sewer rates. The Select Board approved the rates for fiscal year 2011 (FY11) at its May 24 meeting.

Select Board Clerk Mark Gold said the board discussed the rates for about a month before voting on them. "We wanted to give residents a chance to give us some input," he explained. "We didn't get much."

The new rates are part of a two-tier system comprised of a fixed distribution system charge and a variable charge based on usage.

The fixed rate is based on the meter size, which can range from 5/8 inch to four inches. Of the 5,642 customers in town, 4,869 are either 5/8 inch or 3/4 inch -- almost all residential properties, according to Gold. Those users will see an annual fee of $15.59.

Gold said the fixed fee is in place to support the building up of the water reserve fund, which this year will be used for two large projects: the painting of the water tower and the first phase of installation of the new electronic meters approved at Town Meeting.

And, thanks to the slight increase in the fixed fee rates, the water usage rate is $2.07 per 100 cubic feet in FY11, a decrease of four cents per unit from FY10.

"The overall cost of water did not go up substantially this year," Gold reiterated. "The costs went up due to the projects we'll be completing."

Like the water rate, the sewer rate is tiered, with the smallest meter sizes charged an annual fee of $28.57 a year. The usage rate did increase to $2.46 per 100 cubic feet, with a cut off at 220 cubic feet for residential properties.

Gold explained the reason for the cut off with the sewer is because of the number of users who irrigate water their lawns. He pointed out that that water normally doesn't reach the sewer. He plans to continue talks for a separate meter system for irrigation purposes only, to get a better handle on that water usage.

"I want to get more data with the new meter reading system so we can determine better rates," Gold said.

He added that he thinks the Select Board, as the acting water and sewer commissioners, should look at the topic of rates throughout the year and not just when it comes time for setting them.

Water and sewer bills are mailed twice a year to residents. Anyone with questions should contact the Department of Public Works at 567-3400.