What This Means for Sewer Fees

In today's State, Gina Smith wrote an article about a spike in sewer fees ("City wants spike in sewer fees"). Apparently there is a proposed 500% increase in the "expansion fees" charged to homebuilders. This is based on a study by Black & Veatch that looks to fund more than $300 million in water and sewer improvements in the next five years. We don't know what the Black & Veatch study covers, but there is some potential good news: if their future budgets include the costs of removing the phosphorous and nitrogen from the Congaree, the Columbia Wetlands will save a lot of money. But that means there is some potential bad news: if the future costs do not include the phosphorous and nitrogen removal, then the cost estimate is not high enough and more rate increases will be needed. We don't want to be part of the problem, but we keep offering these wetlands not only to save the river and Lake Marion, but to save money for the homebuyers and homeowners as well.