Beginning the first of the new year, Crothersville sewer rates will increase by 67% to pay for an Indiana Department of Environmental Management CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) order to treat surface water which flows to the town’s sewer systems.
The rate increase will be reflected in the utility users’ February bills.
When the town of Crothersville’s sanitary sewer system was built in the 1950s & 60s, sanitary and surface water flowed through the same underground pipes. The engineering philosophy at the time was a heavy rain would “wash out” the sewer helping it flow better. It also sent too much water than could be treated to the wastewater treatment plant resulting in raw sewage flowing out of the plant, down the creek and into the Muscatatuck River.
Over 15 years ago IDEM targeted Crothersville, along with 105 other cities and towns with combine sewers for required remediation. About 12 years ago, Crothersville officials signed an agreed order with IDEM outlining the steps to be taken to decrease then treat the wastewater.
The town has diverted surface water from the sewer and installed new sewer mains replacing those that leaked storm water into them.
All that is left to comply with the IDEM mandate is to increase capacity and detain excess water for treatment. In all, that project will cost around $6.512 million. During a public hearing on Dec. 1, no one from the public spoke out against the project or the resulting rate increase.
Steve Brock of TherberBrock of Carmel, the rate consultants for the town, told the council that to meet the IDEM requirements would mean wastewater utility customers will be paying a 67% increase over the current rates.
A resident using 3,000 gallons of water will see their sewer bill go from $37.81 a month to $63.12 in 2021. A Crothersville sewer customer using 4,000 gallons will see their $45.83 a month bill go to $89.90. Use 5,000 gallons of water and the monthly $61.87 sewer bill will eclipse a hundred dollars—$103.30 per month.
The Crothersville Town Council unanimously approved the rate increase ordinance last Tuesday.
Council President Danieta Foster noted that the monthly utility bill town residents receive includes water, sewer, recycling, trash pickup and storm water fees.
“Everything is not going up 67%,” she said. “Just the sewer portion of the monthly bill.”
Sewer Rate Comparison
Water Useage 2020 2021
1,000 gal $21.77 $36.34
2,000 29.79 49.73
3,000 37.71 63.12
4,000 45.83 76.51
5,000 53.85 89.90
6,000 61.87 103.30
7,000 69.89 116.69
8,000 77.91 130.08
9,000 85.93 143.47
10,000 93.95 156.86
11,000 101.97 170.26
12,000 109.99 183.65