Town officials predict no change in water rates
Published on February 11th, 1998
It is one ranking property owners in Stoneham do not want to see go higher.
And thankfully for only the second time in a dozen years, Stoneham will not move any higher on the MWRA water/sewer rate list with bills expected to remain the same in fiscal year 1999.
Although the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) announced last week a proposed fiscal year l999 current expense budget of $4l0.6 million, which translates into an average 5.2 percent increase in annual wholesale water and sewer charges to its service communities, Stoneham residents should not expect to see any change in their current water/sewer rates, according to Stoneham DPW Director Robert Grover..
The town's FY 1999 MWRA assessment is increasing by $50,000 (4.4 percent) but reductions in the town's water/sewer department personnel budgets and through the use of surplus funds, the assessment increase is being counteracted.
Of course, the town's newly formed Water and Sewer Review Board can recommend increasing or decreasing next year's rates to Town Administrator Jeffrey Nutting, but Grover is expecting the board to keep the current rates which are still in the top 10 of the 43 full MWRA communities.
"As we stand right now, we are projecting no increase in the water and sewer rates next year," said Grover. "And since the MWRA assessment figures historically are decreased as they get closer to finalizing the budget, we are very confident in releasing this good news."
Stoneham's current water rate is $1.80 per 100 cubic feet and the sewer rate is $5 per 100 cubic feet. Those figures represent a slight increase from FY 1997 when the rates were $1.50 and $4.90. The last big jump in rates occurred in 1994 when the water price leaped from $1.52 to $1.90 and the sewer number stayed the same. But during the previous year the sewer rate had increased from $3.40 to $4.40.
In 1983, the water rate in Stoneham was 85 cents per 100 cubic feet and the sewer rate was 78 cents.
But we can't live in the past. In order to counteract the current MWRA assessment and keep the rates level, the DPW's sewer personnel is being reduced from seven full time equivalent employees to 5.9 employees and the water budget is going from 8.6 full time equivalent position to eight.
Although town officials have been criticized at times for stockpiling surplus water funds to the tune of over a million dollars, this is an instance where those surplus funds are being used to stabilize next year's rates.
The 4.4 percent increase in the MWRA assessment is much lower than past years and Grover believes that is a result of the town's ongoing efforts to repair leaking water and sewer pipes throughout the town.
"The fact that we are holding the line on sewer rates tells us something," said Grover, adding that the work on the Franklin Street pipes will restart in approximately two weeks.
Grover said that sewer pipe replacement throughout the town has lessened infiltration and reduced the amount of measured-flow in the town's system. In addition, Grover said the town's recent policy to remove private sump pumps from the town's sewer lines has also reduced the amount of sewer the MWRA is recording in Stoneham and thus reducing the town's assessment.
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!