Water, sewer rate increases topic of hearing

The Bonners Ferry City Council will hold a public hearing for increasing water and sewer rates at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 , at Bonners Ferry Visitor Center. 

The current average monthly rates are $10.15 for sewer and $23.44 for water, totaling $33.59 per month. 

Under the proposed rate increase an average monthly sewer  bill will be $15 and the water bill will be $35.03, for a total of $50.03.  These figures are based on averages and actual bill amounts will depend on the actual amount of water usage. 

The city is a non-profit and needs to increase the rates to cover  maintenance and operation costs. Repayment on the first $2 million of a bond borrowed four years ago begins this year.

The rate increase also will pay for a water chlorinating chamber, 500,000-gallon  water tank, a project to increase water pressure for the South Hill and installing a 16-inch waterline from the treatment plant to Denver and Lincoln streets.

The rate increase also will pay for a clarifier project, required by the Environmental Protection Act, a discharge permit required to enhance the water treatment process,  and a District 1 line required by the Department of Environmental Quality to provide drinking water to customers who had previously been provided with raw water.

At present, the sewer rates are  covering current operation and maintenance expenses.  Within the next year, the city will  experience increased operations costs for chlorination required to treat the algae and meet the EPA discharge requirement.

If the proposed increase is approved, the city will still have some of the lowest sewer rates in the region.