Columbia water, sewer bills could rise 47 percent in next 5 years

The average household in Columbia could see its monthly bill for water and sewage services jump to $70 from $47 by 2020 based on recommendations to City Council.

The average out-of-town residential customer would see charges increase to $120 from $81.

Council members have been largely unenthusiastic about adding $4.65 to the average in-city resident’s monthly bill next year and $7.92 to the average non-city resident’s bill – a 9.5 percent rate increase.

But that’s just the beginning.

They also face the reality of needing to raise rates each of the next four years, too, between 7 percent and 8 percent each year, to meet a federal mandate to pay for improvements to the water and sewage systems.

Council members haven’t made any decisions. They won’t vote on the budget, which includes a proposed $133 million water and sewage fund budget, until June, after a public hearing in May.

But updated figures presented Tuesday to council by consultants project average bills will soar 47 percent between now and the 2020 budget year for both residential and commercial customers inside and outside of the city.

Each of the yearly increases, though, could vary from projections, as council members must vote on each year’s rates each spring.

Ongoing rate increases are inevitable, however, as the city must pay for some $700 million worth of major capital improvements to both the water and sewage systems.

The Environmental Protection Agency has threatened the city with fines and a possible takeover of the system because polluted overflow from the city’s wastewater plant and sewage lines periodically turns local rivers into smelly and unsightly waterways full of bacteria that can make people sick. The city is under court order to pay for upgrades.

Given that the city needs to spend so much money on the improvements, some council members continue to be rankled by City Council’s annual transfer of money from the water and sewage fund to balance the general fund budget.

The proposed budget for the upcoming year trims the transfer from $4 million, which has been typical for years, to about $2.6 million designated solely for public safety.

Councilman Cameron Runyan called it “unconscionable” for the city to continue to transfer money from the water and sewage fund to unrelated projects while raising customer rates.

“The time to explore a reasonable transfer is when we have a healthy system, after we are out from under the EPA consent decree and we have a net positive cash flow in the system,” Runyan said. “That time is not now.”

This story was originally published April 21, 2015 at 9:25 PM with the headline "Columbia water, sewer bills could rise 47 percent in next 5 years."