Explanation
Background: This ordinance authorizes an increase in sewer rates effective January 1, 2009 for the Division of Sewerage and Drainage.
The proposed rate configuration for 2009 recognizes that water and sewer charges disproportionately effect lower income groups and increases the Low Income Discount program that discounts participant's sewer commodity portion of their sewer bill from 15% to 20%. This increase in the discount rate will result in an overall rate reduction of -1.88% for a typical inside city customer. This legislation also eliminates receipt of the Homestead Exemption as a qualifier for receiving the Low Income Discount. Qualifying for Homestead Exemption is currently based on age and/or disability. Income was dropped as a qualifier by the State of Ohio and Franklin County in 2007.
Requested adjustments in rates result in a typical inside city residential sanitary sewer rate increase of 6%. When a water increase of 8.5% and a Stormwater increase of 9% are considered the overall impact on a typical residential customer in the City of Columbus is 7.11% and for an outside city residential customer 7.13%.
The proposed rate structure also continues a charge related to each customer's contribution to wastewater flow during periods of wet weather. Since wastewater flow during wet weather directly corresponds to water runoff from impervious area, rates include a charge to recover costs of construction of projects necessary to meet the requirements of the two consent orders that mandate elimination of wet weather flow from Combined Sewer Overflows and Sanitary Sewer Overflows. This charge is assessed based on each property's measured impervious surface area. Each Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) is based on 2000 sq ft of impervious area. Residents are charged at one ERU per residence. All other customers are charged based on measured impervious area divided by 2000 sq ft to determine an ERU equivalent. This charge is calc...
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