Sewer fees
may drop for
homeowners

But homeowners who send less
waste water out could reduce their
bills under a Council proposal

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Star-Bulletin

A revised proposal for city sewer fees would still mean lower bills for single-family homeowners at the expense of higher bills for condominium and apartment owners.

But the new plan is supposed to have less of an impact on the pocketbooks of condominium and apartment owners than an earlier proposal, particularly those who use 2,000 gallons of water or less each month.

Similarly, single-family homeowners using 2,000 gallons or less each month would receive a greater reduction in fees.

The measure, worked on jointly by Councilman John DeSoto and the Environmental Services Department, will be heard at a City Council Budget and Public Works Committee meeting Wednesday.

The administration yesterday could not provide figures on what the new plan would mean for the average single-family or condominium/apartment owner.

An earlier revamping of the sewer rate structure failed to make it out of the committee in November.

The latest plan calls for lowering the single-family homeowner monthly base rate, applicable toward the first 2,000 gallons of metered water consumed, from $24.85 to $17.40.

The rate for condominium and apartment owners would remain at $17.40.

The rate for water use beyond 2,000 gallons would be hiked for both classes, from $1.05 to $1.88 per 1,000 gallons.

An 18,000-gallon cap continues to be part of the plan, alleviating the worries of those who use a larger percentage of their water for irrigation.

The plan aims to be a "revenue neutral" scheme, meaning the city will get the same proceeds despite the changes.

It also calls for an equal number of homeowners getting higher and lower bills.

The move to update the city's sewer service charge schedule came after rural residents, led by Leeward Councilman DeSoto, argued that those who do a fair amount of irrigation are being assessed for water that doesn't have any impact on the sewer system. But what DeSoto sees as a move toward equity in sewer bills has been opposed by Council members representing districts with condominiums.

They argue that city garbage pickup is paid for through property taxes, even though most condominiums and apartments don't get city garbage service.