Waterford to study changes to sewer billing

Waterford - In response to resident complaints about last year's change in the town's sewer billing method, the Representative Town Meeting voted Monday to have its Public Works, Planning and Development Committee revisit the issue in the near future.

RTM member and committee Chairman Brendan McGuirk said he will likely schedule a meeting before the end of the month where citizens will be invited to share their views.

The move to re-examine the sewer bill issue arose after residents this month saw increases in their water bills, following a change from a purely flat rate system to a system where user consumption is factored into the water charge.

The Utility Commission, which purchases town water from New London, charges a $180 a year for service fees in addition to $3.50 per 100 cubic feet of water, all based on wastewater consumption.

The RTM approved the change on Aug. 4, 2009, after more than of year of debate and the Utility Commission published notices about the switch shortly thereafter.

The vote to revisit the sewer bill matter followed about 40 minutes of discussion between the RTM and about 10 people who attended the meeting.

RTM member Diana Cramer said the body voted to switch from a purely flat rate system because residents who might use less water, such as single people or empty nesters, were subsidizing those households who were using more water.

"We wanted to make it more equitable," she said.

Still, residents say the new billing scheme is unfair to people who use water that does not end up in the sewer system.

"The water I use to water the grass and garden doesn't go into the sewer," Wayne Hamler, a resident who saw his bill jump from $98 to $269.

Neftali Soto, the town's chief engineer, recommended that residents who get water from private wells, but use the sewers, install a meter so the Utility Commission can bill them on how much water they are actually using.

Soto said in lieu of a meter reading the town bills well-users on the average amount of a Waterford household uses, 76,000 gallons a year.