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09/05/2018 08:00 AMOne of the most commonly reported challenges facing water systems across Connecticut is our aging infrastructure. A rate structure designed to provide sustainable revenue for operations and capital programs is critical to ensure reliable and effective sewer protection.
In 1991, we made a conscious investment as a community to upgrade and rehabilitate our wastewater and sewer treatment facility in order to provide effective and efficient sanitary sewer services to property owners connected to our public sewer system. We have enjoyed the benefits of that multi-million-dollar investment for the past 27 years. However, as the facility has begun to age, we have recently seen increased costs of maintenance and less efficient operation of the plant.
As a result, we commissioned a study of the operational status of our current facilities, which included a capital improvement plan to be implemented over the next 5- to 10 years. Spreading those costs of those improvements over a longer period of time will also permit them to be absorbed into our budget gradually, without the need for a significant spike in the cost of providing those services in the event of a catastrophic failure.
We have enjoyed the benefits of our public sewer system at an annual fee of $270. Other current annual sewer use fees are $450 in the Town of North Branford, $383 in the Town of Cheshire, $468 in the Town of Wallingford, $425 in the Town of Orange, and $449 for Greater New Haven. In order to meet the challenges of maintaining and updating the facilities that are approaching the end of their useful life, we anticipate an increase in the sewer use fee to permit us to undertake these repairs over the next 10 years. We will do so with sensitivity, realizing an increase will have an impact on your personal and/or business budgets. This increase will allow us to maintain the facility so that we can all enjoy the benefits of the services it will provide us for the next 30 years.
The North Haven Water Pollution Control Authority will hold a public hearing during the month of September to discuss our annual sewer use fee in light of the long-term capital improvement plan to maintain the facility. We invite the public to attend that hearing so that resident might participate in the process with us.