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Cookeville residents will likely see an increase in their sewer and water rates later this spring.
Cookeville City Council passed a resolution Thursday increasing rates in intervals over the next five years.
Water and Sewer Department Director Ronnie Kelly explained earlier this month the rate adjustments will help cover upcoming project expenses.
“We need a sustainable revenue to meet the capital funding needs that we have coming in the future in our department,” Kelly said. “It’s more of a variable rate and covers more of our fixed costs. It’ll keep our department on a more-sound financial footing and it’ll sort of offset some of the declined revenue trends that we’ve seen in the past.”
Water prices will rise each year for the next five years from the current rate of $3.07 per 1,000 gallons used, to $3.30 in 2020 until being capped at $3.82 in 2023. Fixed rates will also rise a dollar per year from the current $4.10 to $9.10 in the same time frame.
Sewer rates will only increase the next three years, rising from the current rate of $4.51 per 1,000 gallons to $6.15 in 2021, with fixed rates rising to $10.15.
Kelly said the department faces millions of dollars worth of improvements both at the facility and in line rehabilitation.
“We’ve got about a $5 million… rebuild down at the sewer plant coming up. It’s under design currently,” Kelly said. “We’ve upped our waterline replacement program. We will start doing work at the water treatment plant, where we’re doing a $2 million rework down there now, and it’s just basically maintaining the existing water plant.”
The first rate adjustment will go into effect on May 1. More information regarding rate changes including rate examples can be found on the city’s website.
