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Sewer rates!!!!

cap732000

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I was in talks with the city manager of one of the towns I have a wash in and he mentioned something about the sewer rates probably need adjusted for car washes because all water used does t go down drain. Does anyone have any articles on this or does anybodies town address this.
 

Eric H

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There was an extensive article in SSCWN about this topic. I thought the back issues were available online but could not find them on this site. Im sure if you contact Katie Carr she could send you a digital copy if you cannot find it on your own
 

Car_Wash_Guy

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Don't tell me about it - I just got hit with a $3000 yearly "fee" on one of my commercial properties.
 

soapy

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ICA did a study several years ago and found that 35% of the water does not go down the drain, It is carried off or evaporated. Check with the ICA doe the report.
 
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robert roman

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“I was in talks with the city manager of one of the towns I have a wash in and he mentioned something about the sewer rates probably need adjusted for car washes….”

The general rule is a utility can have low rates or high quality service but not both.

Higher rates is inevitable in many areas of U.S. because the infrastructure is old and worn out or development and growth has overwhelmed it.

The average cost of utility service across the country has been increasing by 5 to 6 percent a year.

Also, utilities use input/output model – water and sewer because they are interrelated.

Rate increases are especially troubling to deal with in low density areas (rural and semi-rural) because there are simply less businesses and residents to split the cost.

So, before I’d jump off a cliff looking for gobs of stuff to defend business operation, I look deeper into what is causing city manager to hedge.
 

2Biz

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I'm also feeling the pain of sewer rates. Trippled in the last 2 years.
 

Rainway

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I’m in Alaska - my sewer rates are outrageous. $12.53 per 1,000 gallons (starting July 1 2018). We’re coming off of years of 8% annual increases. They’re charging me 100% of my water intake as though it all goes down to sewer. Trying to get them to differentiate their rates for different customer classes based on relative burden but the big brewery in town seems to have a lot of pull with the city and so for the foreseable future all metered customers are charged the same rate. Any suggestions? I’m trying to find some info on relative Biological Oxygen Demandbut the ICA study is very dated. I contacted them and they just tried to sell me their $700 general industry study.

https://beta.juneau.org/engineering-public-works/utilities-division/rates
 

Rainway

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There was an extensive article in SSCWN about this topic. I thought the back issues were available online but could not find them on this site. Im sure if you contact Katie Carr she could send you a digital copy if you cannot find it on your own
Where can I locate this?
 

tdlconceptsllc

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I am in NC in the paper yesterday the town announced a 7.5% increase for water and 7.5% increase for sewer and they just went up on sewer rates for us 2 years ago highest in the state. Going to be a total of 15% increase to $13.04 per 1000 gallons of water in town and $25.42 for out of town per 1000 gallons. All we can do is raise the price and put up signs explaining why to the customer and the towns mayor phone number for complaints. Its getting out of control for sure.
 
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Rainway

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I am in NC in the paper yesterday the town announced a 7.5% increase for water and 7.5% increase for sewer and they just went up on sewer rates for us 2 years ago highest in the state. Going to be a total of 15% increase to $13.04 per 1000 gallons of water in town and $25.42 for out of town per 1000 gallons. All we can do is raise the price and put up signs explaining why to the customer and the towns mayor phone number for complaints. Its getting out of control for sure.
Wow. I didn’t think anyone would have higher rates than us. I suppose they charge all customer classes the same? The good ol’ boys here have all of us paying the same rate so us lower impact users get to subsidize the Alaskan Brewing Company and all the restaurants and grocery stores and high impact users.

Are you an automatic? What do you have to charge on your top line wash? We’re charging $18
 

mac

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I have done washes where we did get a reduction in the sewer rates, but, it has to be done before you open. Once open I have never heard of any one getting a better rate. Your government hard at work for you.
 

tdlconceptsllc

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Wow. I didn’t think anyone would have higher rates than us. I suppose they charge all customer classes the same? The good ol’ boys here have all of us paying the same rate so us lower impact users get to subsidize the Alaskan Brewing Company and all the restaurants and grocery stores and high impact users.

Are you an automatic? What do you have to charge on your top line wash? We’re charging $18
I have a Laser 4000 i am $6, $10 $12 $14 and $2.50 for 4mins in self serve and i need to go up on everything its just a bad situation because you can ride 30mins and the self serves locations can vary from $1.50 to $2.00 out of my little town and automatics cheaper also but not much $12 as there rates are half as mine. i have heard up north like new york & maryland is way way higher on water and sewer than what i said above it sucks.
 

Roz

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Maryland rates vary by county from $10 - $20 and not consistent by use. Rates can vary by the size of the pipe you have into and out of your property even if you do not use the water. Rates also vary if you have a toilet line or just a brown water line too.
 

mjwalsh

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“I was in talks with the city manager of one of the towns I have a wash in and he mentioned something about the sewer rates probably need adjusted for car washes….”

The general rule is a utility can have low rates or high quality service but not both.

Higher rates is inevitable in many areas of U.S. because the infrastructure is old and worn out or development and growth has overwhelmed it.

The average cost of utility service across the country has been increasing by 5 to 6 percent a year.
At minimum, there should be TRUE examples of government waste shoved in the commission's face ... so they are not given what appears to be a "blank check" to raise rates by our friend Robert Roman.
 
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