The Sanitation District has been in the midst of a sewer lift station and service line upgrade project for a number of years.  This project was necessary as the lift stations were placed in the 1980’s.  All the pumping systems were aged and wearing out, as well as parts to fix the pumps were becoming more difficult to find.  The cost of maintaining the existing lift stations was becoming a large burden.  This project also included repairing service lines in specific areas throughout the City.

The project began in 2020, which was in the middle of the global pandemic, COVID-19.  There have been unforeseen expenses arise because of the shut downs that happened during these times, as well as delays for parts and materials from manufacturers. The difficulty in finding parts and materials has been reflected in the rapidly increasing costs for items necessary to finalize the project. All of these delays and difficulties have a price tag associated with them. The District was able to use money it had in reserve to cover most of the unforseen expences in connection with the upgrade project.

The Board of Directors has worked very hard on the budget for the last 5+ years to cut expenses, and implementing more cost savings plans. These plans are not enough to meet the ever increasing costs of labor and materials anymore. 

The funding agency that was used for the upgrade, requires a certain amount to be held in reserve, as well as establishing a separate account for future maintenance.  As the reserve that the District had was spent on this project, there is a need to establish this reserve account once again.  

The Board of Directors had to make the difficult decision to increase the monthly sewer rate by $10/month.  This increase will be reflected in the July, 2025 billing that will be sent out at the end of July.  Notice of this increase has been noted on the water/sewer bills for the past few months as well. 

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact the office at 541.963.5017