EMMITSBURG — Emmitsburg residents will see an increase in their sewer rates over the next few years to help fund a new, state-mandated wastewater treatment plant.
Of the total $20 million cost to build the new plant, the town has been awarded $14.5 million in federal and state grants. The town is proposing to fund the remaining cost of the plant from a $5.5 million loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, necessitating quarterly payments of $51,000.
On top of the loan payment, the new plant will cost the town an additional $48,000 per quarter to operate, bringing the quarterly price tag to nearly $100,000.
Town manager Dave Haller presented two new sewer rate structures at Monday’s town meeting. While commissioners did not vote on a specific rate structure, the board did vote to phase in the rate increases in two stages — the first taking effect no sooner than April, and the second taking effect when the new plant comes online in approximately three years.
Commissioner Pat Joy said that while a rate increase is necessary, phasing in a new rate structure in three stages over three years would minimize the shock to residents. The four other commissioners supported the two-stage increase.
“We do need to be somewhat aggressive about it to address that debt,” Commissioner Tim O’Donnell said.
The town’s current treatment plant was built in the late 1980s.
The plant is one of two in the state that cannot be upgraded to meet new standards set forth by the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Act, so the town is required to build the new plant.
Commissioners will discuss specifics of the new sewer rates during the next few meetings. Commissioners President Chris Staiger suggested that town staff include information on the new rates with the next quarter’s sewer bills to give residents sufficient notice of the change.
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