The Town of Montague - Departments - Water Pollution and Control Facility

Sewer Rates

Sewer rates are the cornerstone of a user charge system that generates revenues designed to recover the total cost of operating the wastewater collection and treatment system. It is designed to make the wastewater utility financially self-sufficient by placing the costs of pollution abatement directly on the sources of pollution in proportion to their contribution.

Sewer rates are charges levied against users of the sewer system, residential, industrial & commercial. The rates are based on water usage as metered by the respective village water district. Basing billing on actual volume of water, which the user discharges to the sewer line is the most equitable form of user charge. Since the inception of the Enterprise Fund system the winter period water meter readings, October through March, have been utilized. This was done to minimize the extraneous uses of water, gardening etc. from being accounted for in the sewer billing process. The Town is billed each year for Inflow & Infiltration (I&I) entering the system. These flows from surface and subsurface sources are accounted for via the difference between water meter totals and the total flow through the WPCF. Also as part of the sewer rate system there are surcharges levied against a user that produces a waste strength of greater than 200 milligrams per liter. This value is estimated to be the average concentration of domestic/residential BOD and TSS. There is also a separate rate for septage disposal. The rates, except for surcharges, are charged on a per thousand gallon basis. Residential sewer billing is done two times per year.

The sewer rates for FY2008 are:

FIRST HALF BILLING

Rates per 1,000 gallons

$4.94 Southworth, Gill & Strathmore

$5.31 Turners Falls, Montague Center, Montague City, Lake Pleasant

$147.00 6 month Flat Rate

$5.31 Millers Falls

SECOND HALF BILLING

Rates per 1,000 gallons

$4.94 Southworth, Gill & Strathmore

$5.31 Turners Falls, Montague Center, Montague City, Lake Pleasant

$147.00 6 month Flat Rate

$5.31 Millers Falls

Septage, as of 11/01/2007
Montague & Town of Gill = $90.00/1,000 gallons
Out of Town = $95.00/1,000 gallons

Non-Contract Surcharges
Total Suspended Solids $0.4499 per pound
Biochemical Oxygen Demand $0.3361 per pound

Other
Interest Rate - 14% per Annum
Demand Charge - $5.00
Minimum Bill - $32.00

The most recent sewer rate survey, 2006, from communities in Massachusetts shows the following:

Range per household = $120 to $1,396
Average per Household = $485
Montague per Household = $445

The Town operates the WPCF through an Enterprise Fund process. This process requires that those who use the system pay to support the system. This is done via the sewer rates. All day to day operations of the WPCF, Highway Department Subsidiary, Treasurer Subsidiary and Debt Service are support solely by sewer users on the system. The Highway Department maintains the gravity collection system and through the subsidiary budget, ratepayers support the work done. The Treasurer Subsidiary budget supports work done by that office to support sewer billing, collection, investment and borrowing. Debt Service includes principal and interest for capital expenditure projects. Other overhead for the Town hall in support of the WPCF is funded by a separate line item within the facilities budget.

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