Waterboard Hears About Council Rate Increase For Sanitary Sewer

Oskaloosa Water Department

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Oskaloosa Water Board met in normal session Monday afternoon.

The Oskaloosa Water Board voted to update the employee handbook to reflect the changes to health insurance renewal.

Water department employees will be paying 2.5% of their premium in 2018, and an additional 2.5% in 2019 for a total of 5% of their premium. This is a change from previous years when the department paid the entire premium.

Oskaloosa Water Department General Manager Chad Coon updated the board of trustees about work being done for the wastewater department.

Coon said that since the weather is still good, crews are out jetting and televising sanitary and stormwater systems.

Coon updated the board about the stormwater system installation taking place at the old community stadium.

There was a manhole that wasn’t slated to be changed out during the project, but it was determined that “now was the time” to change that out, said Coon.

The stormwater pipe that was originally specified for the project was 54 inches, but 60-inch pipe was used because it was cheaper. “They went in with even bigger pipe,” added Coon of the contractor’s work.

“This last section of the project has gone better than some of the others,” said Coon of the work that is finishing up at the old stadium site.

Coon said that nearly two million gallons of bio-solids have been removed from the eq basin at the south treatment facility. “It has been a significant effort to get that out and the weather has played in our favor.”

Coon said there is more to do, but time and the availability of field acres for the solids is the only hurdle to overcome in finishing the task.

Security lighting at both treatment facilities has been updated after a recent break-in at the south treatment plant. “It’s made a huge difference in the visibility of that facility out there.”

In the General Manager’s update, Coon said that in the past month there have been four leaks, which were all on valves. Three of those leaks were a result of work that was being done for the new water main on South F.

Coon also said that some repairs to a settling basin at the water treatment plant had some plastic chain necessary for operation has several stress fractures The failures have lead to one of the three settling basins being out of service while parts are brought in.

The department is in the process of preparing their budget for the fiscal year 2018-19.

The budget review would happen on January 8th during the board’s regular meeting, with a potential public hearing for the budget taking place on the 15th of January.

Coon said that shut-off’s for non-payment were down last month to 50, from 85 the previous month.

During updates from trustees, the discussion turned towards the 20% increase that will be in effect for sanitary sewer rates beginning in April of 2018.

The increase is being put in place to help pay for mandated improvements to the sanitary sewer system and a new sewage treatment plant that could cost 32.5 million dollars.

The proposed rate increase will hit council the first meeting in January and will require three readings.

The 20% increase will be followed up with operational cost increases annually following the 2018 rate increase. “The challenge for us is to keep those costs contained,” said Oskaloosa City Manager Michael Schrock to the board of trustees.

Schrock said that the 20% increase “would be the last major increase necessary” and will enable the city to pay for the required updates to the sanitary system.

Data, compiled by the City of Ames, indicates that Oskaloosa pays $67.30 per 1000 cubic feet of water.

Pella residents pay $46.69, with the next highest in the state being Ankeny at $61.70 for the same volume. The lowest in the state is Marshalltown at $24.55.

Many of these rates are scheduled to change as communities scramble to meet recent EPA and DNR regulations.

For Oskaloosa residents, the city is upper-middle of the road in the state for waste water, with $63.38 per 1000 cubic feet. Clinton has the highest rate at $89.60 per 1000 cubic feet, and Pella is at $48.88. The lowest rate in the state goes to Iowa Great Lakes Sanitary District at $15.13.

Many communities with some of the leading rates have projects in the works that will lead to significant rate increases for their communities, a byproduct of regulations passed down by federal and state agencies.