Board says it’s time to scrap Port sewer credit

Port Washington’s Board of Public Works on Tuesday recommended the city eliminate the summer break that homeowners receive on their sewer bills.

Eliminating the credit, members said, will not only bring more equity to the system but also help minimize a proposed rate increase this year.
Instead of the 5.5% rate increase the utility was expected to seek this year, the increase will be 3%, Wastewater Supr. Dan Buehler said.

That’s because eliminating the sewer credit is expected to bring in an additional $55,000 to $60,000 in revenue.

The sewer credit was intended to give homeowners who use a lot of water in the summer for such things as watering gardens and lawns or filling above-ground pools a break since that water is not treated at the wastewater plant.

Typically, the city’s sewer and water bills are calculated on the amount of water used each month. But in the summer, the sewer charge is capped at the average amount of water used in January through March. 

“You’re basically billing them for what they’re using in the winter,” Buehler said. “You’re assuming every drop above the winter average is going into the ground, and that isn’t necessarily the case.”

For example, he said, college students typically return home in the summer and this causes more laundry, showering and other water uses.

People who spend winters down south have virtually no water use then, but when they return for the summer months they use a significantly higher amount of water every day.

Ald. John Sigwart, a member of the board, said “it seems like we’re giving people a credit it doesn’t seem like they necessarily deserve.”

Most communities in the area — including Saukville, Grafton, Fredonia, Belgium, Jackson, Sheboygan and Random Lake — have eliminated the sewer credit, officials said.

The Port proposal would allow residents who want to claim the credit to install a deduct meter, which would be owned by the city but must be installed by a licensed plumber. 

The meter would more accurately measure the amount of water sent to the wastewater plant, but Buehler said this would likely not pay off for most residents.

“Obviously they’re going to have to be high water users to make this pay off,” he said.

To eliminate the sewer credit, the Common Council must approve a change to the city ordinances.