Replacing sanitary sewer mains during the state Highway 22 reconstruction project will cost typical residential Oconto Falls sewer customers an additional $2.35 a month beginning in November, according to a Oconto Falls Municipal Utilities employee.
The Sewage Disposal Commission approved the increase to the fixed charge in August, hiking the monthly amount from $34.80 to $37.15, for customers with a 7/8-inch meter, the most common size, said Lisa Christensen, a utility executive administrative assistant.
The increase was necessary after the Department of Natural Resources determined that projected sewer utility revenue would be $43,955 short of financing the project through a low-cost state loan, Christensen said.
“It’s a bare-bones minimum increase. The commission wanted to stay as close to $44,000 as they could. They decided that the best way to meet the shortfall was a slight increase in the monthly fixed charge,” Christensen said.
The fixed charge had “a minimal increase” in May after the utility completed a multimillion dollar upgrade to the waste water treatment plant, Christensen said.
The sewer volume rate will remain unchanged, she added.
Water rates also will remain unchanged as the Water & Light Utility’s revenue is sufficient to finance replacement of the water mains, Christensen said.
The utilities and the city are 100 percent responsible for the $2.36 million cost of replacing the water, sanitary and storm sewer mains during the highway reconstruction project, said Craig Schuh, project manager at Ayers Associates.
The sanitary sewer and water mains were near the end of their useful life and needed replacing, Schuh said.
Schuh did not know if water main breaks were a problem in the project area. Calls to Utility Director Chuck Grady about the project had not been returned by deadline.
The underground utility work was awarded to Jossart Brothers Inc. and “it’s on schedule now,” Schuh said Friday.
By November the mains should be replaced from Main Street to Chestnut Avenue and the street patched with asphalt, he said.
Reconstruction and resurfacing of Highway 22 will begin next spring and is expected to be completed by fall, he said.
New pavement, storm sewers, curb, gutter and sidewalks will be installed.
The project boundaries are West Highland Drive to East Highland Drive with roadwork done on Main Street circling around on Union Avenue to Chestnut Avenue and back to Highland Drive.
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