Skip to main content
Global Edition
Thursday, March 28, 2024

City Council OKs sewer rate hike

Credit: WFFT
Duration: 0 shares 1 views

City Council OKs sewer rate hike
City Council OKs sewer rate hike
Fort Wayne City Council OKs sewer rate hike

To stable.

Fort wayne sewer customers will soon be paying more.

City council this week approved a sewer rate hike this week by a vote of 7 to 2.fox 55's jentill neal tells us what this hike means for you.

Jentill?hunter, the monthly sewer rates will increase some time this year to pay for $310 million dollars in federal government-mandated upgrades.

City officials tell me they think the increase will be worth it to protect the three rivers.

The sewage rate hike will go toward reducing the amount of times the city's sewers overflow into the st.

Joseph st.

Mary's and maumee rivers.

All required under a 2008 court order.

<michelle chambers// 16:44:21-16:44:44 "we're at that critical point where we had to take care of the sewer repairs or the federal government would come in and do it, and we would have been charged a substantially higher amount to get our sewer systems up to speed."

Typical customers will see their monthly bills increase five percent over five years.

For those struggling financially the city is looking for possible options to help.

16:46:14-16:46:26"we are hoping to be able to have some grant dollars or something like that to possibly in severe situations that they can seek some assistance.

That has not been solidified yet, but we've been looking at all angles."the average customer bill would go from $43 to $54, and although increases are never fun when it's more money out of your pocket, some residents tell us they trust the decision.

<robert bell// fort wayne 16:51:22-16:51:35 "anytime the city is trying to do something to advance the city but also make sure the city is safe for the people, sometimes cost are not easy to receive, but it's necessary to progress and go farther."

City utilities originally thought the rate would go as high as $72 per month but say that's no longer the case.

The exact date of the increase has not yet been set.

16:48:04-16:48:11 "we're not the only city having to deal with this mandate by the epa and i'm proud of the work we've done thus far."

Now that city council voted 7-2, it will go to mayor tom henry.reporting live jentill neal fox

You might like