Quarterly Sewer Bills due on August 28, 2020

Quarterly sewer bills will be mailed out on Tuesday morning with a payment due date of August 28.   I am writing to let you know that this is for meter usage read from April through June, which covers the period during which many families were all at home due to COVID-19.  You may find your usage much higher than in the past.

All usage numbers are provided by the Water Department and they were double checked to insure accuracy.  A contributing factor to this increase is that many people are now home watering their lawns and gardens, taking more showers and flushing their toilets during the day.  Per the Water Department, with each additional person at home during the day, they flush an additional 20 to 30 gallons of water per day.

The town engages the services of Tighe and Bond who annually review the operations of the Sewer Enterprise System.  This review is to ensure that the Sewer Enterprise Fund, which is separate from the Town’s annual operating budget, can be self-supporting and that its revenues can cover all the expenses associated with the sewer operations each year.    It was recommended that the Commission approve a 4% increase in the sewer rates, rather than the planned 8%, effective with the July 2020 billing.

As any changes to these rates require a public hearing, the Sewer Commission posted and held a public hearing on March 4, 2020. At that hearing the Commission accepted the recommendation of Tighe and Bond and approved a 4% rate increase effective with the July 2020 billing. We will continue to review our rates on an annual basis.

Regards,

Nancy Lucier, Town Administrator