Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 14, 1993 TAG: 9309140235
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The average customer's monthly charge would gradually increase from $6.47 to $9.80 by 1996 under a plan proposed by city officials.
This is the fee for a customer using 5,000 gallons of water a month, which is the average for residential customers.
Roanoke's charge, even after the increase, would remain far below the state average of $15.73 monthly.
Roanoke's combined monthly charge for sewer and water service would be $15.83 - after the sewer increase - and would remain below the fees of other localities in the Roanoke Valley.
Monthly charges by other localities for the same service and using a similar amount of water are: Botetourt County, $37.00; Roanoke County, $27.60; Vinton, $17.72; and Salem, $17.00. Those are the localities served by the regional treatment plant.
Roanoke owns the plant, but it treats sewage from other localities on a contract basis.
Kit Kiser, director of utilities and operations, told City Council the sewer rates will increase for the other localities, but he doesn't know how much.
Kiser said the financing plan calls for proportional increases in the rates for commercial and industrial customers in Roanoke.
Kiser said city officials will undertake a public education campaign to explain to city residents the need for the project. City officials will make a final recommendation to council in November or December.
The valley localities have agreed on a $41.5 million plan for expanding the treatment plant and replacing several sewer lines.
The cost will be shared this way: Roanoke, $15.77 million; Roanoke County, $12.35 million; Salem, $10.46 million; Botetourt County, $1.93 million; and Vinton, $990,000.
Each locality can use whatever method it chooses to pay its share of the expansion. And each locality can decide whether its rates will increase, and by how much.
by CNB