Wilmington sewer, water rates set to rise

Even as Wilmington Mayor Dennis P. Williams pushes a nearly 10 percent increase in the city property tax, his budget also includes increases in water, sewer and stormwater fees for residents and others who use the city's systems.

Williams' budget includes an 8 percent increase in water and sewer fees and a 7 percent increase in stormwater fees. The typical customer who uses 12,000 gallons quarterly would pay $3.78 more a month. That includes a water increase of $1.97, sewer increase of $1.48 and a stormwater increase of 33 cents, according to Robert Greco, director of the city's Office of Management and Budget.

The additional $45 a year water and sewer customers would pay is on top of higher property taxes proposed by Williams for property owners, which would amount to another $175 a year for the owner of a house with an assessed value of $100,000; $78 more for one assessed at $44,900 – the average in Wilmington.

Some customers outside the city limits who still rely on Wilmington's water and sewer systems also will pay the increase.

City Councilman Bud Freel, who chairs the finance committee, said council typically holds separate hearings on the water and sewer fund near the end of the city budget process. Freel said he expects council will "look closely" at the proposed increases.

"I'm sure people are concerned, hearing about a property tax increase and a water tax increase," he said. "It's not like I can think about one and not the other. It's the residents of Wilmington who get hit with both of those, so it's our job to put that under tight scrutiny."

There are about three new positions paid through the water and sewer fund, for example, that Freel said he wants to study.

Should the increases take effect, the water and sewer fund would grow to more than $68 million, an increase of more than $1.6 million or about 2.7 percent.

Since 2010, Wilmington has increased water and sewage fees each year in an effort to make the fund self-sustaining. Greco said the annual increase has declined somewhat from double digits in years before.

"This tends to be one of these 'out of sight, out of mind' issues," Greco said. "But I think a lot of people don't realize the amount of work and money that goes into maintaining a system like this."

Williams' budget proposal for water and sewer states that the increases would pay for improvements, including: $250,000 for comprehensive inspection, maintenance and repainting of water tanks; $249,000 more in the contract with Veolia Water to operate and maintain the city's sewage plant and to make some capital improvements; and $40,000 for fire hydrant testing, maintenance and repair.

At the same time, costs have risen, according to Williams' budget. Recently completed projects like those at the Cool Spring Reservoir, Hoopes Dam and the addition of a real-time control system have increased the value of sewer systems, raising depreciation expenses by $324,100. Fuel and maintenance costs on the public works department's vehicle fleet also grew by $261,000.

City officials say they've taken some steps to cut costs, trimming the amount spent on consultants and contracts by $358,000 in favor of more "in-house" work.

Contact Matthew Albright at malbright@delawareonline.com or at (302) 324-2428. Follow him on Twitter @TNJ_malbright.