If Sewer Hook-Up Increase Approved Homeowner Fees Could Nearly Double

For North Side suburban homeowners working to finish up sewer connections, time really is money.

On Jan. 9, Spokane County commissioners could nearly double the charge to connect to the county sewer system from $555 to $1,075.

If approved, the jump would be the largest in years. It is an attempt to adjust for both past inflation and a bevy of new sewer facilities on line or being planned.

Some people are expected to oppose the proposed hook-up rate increase.

“Essentially they don’t want to pay it all or they want to pay it at last year’s rates,” said Bruce Rawls, county utilites director.

Commissioners could decide to impose the increase immediately or make it effective at a future date. They could also scale it back for some users.

Some 2,000 homes and businesses are hooking up to the sewer each year. Most come on during summer and fall, though there are hookups going on during mild winter weather.

“This year it’s taking a large jump,” said Rawls. “If people assumed it would go up this much every year, they’d be alarmed.”

In fact, the county expects smaller bumps each year until the year 2000 when connections would cost $1,395.

The connection charge, known as a GFC or general facilities charge, pays for existing sewer infrastructure such as trunk lines and pumping stations that bring the wastewater from neighborhoods to the city-county treatment plant on the Spokane River.

All 8,500 residential and business users of the county sewer system also pay a monthly fee of $17.50.

The new revenue would pay for the new sewer trunk line serving the north suburban area to Gleneden as well as future interceptor lines and pumping station planned for the Valley.

“This will be directed to all the major sewer facilities that need to be built in Spokane County for the next 20 years,” said Rawls.

If the hook-up fee is not increased the county will not recover the costs of the new services, he said.

One issue still to be resolved, however, is how to pay for eventual upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant along the Spokane River.

Commissioner Steve Hasson would like to see a fund established now so the community will not experience sticker shock when the day comes for needed expansion, perhaps 10 years away.

“The figure I’ve heard is that it may cost $100 million to upgrade,” said Hasson. “The idea is to start a kitty and then defend the kitty’s presence.” The county should do this even if the city doesn’t, he said.

Hasson said he may ask that some charge - perhaps a dollar or less - be added to either the connection fee or the monthly bill to cover future plant expansion.

, DataTimes MEMO: Changed in the Valley Voice

This sidebar appeared with the story: SEWER HEARING The hearing on sewer hook-up costs will be a part of the commissioners’ regular meeting on Jan. 9. The meeting begins at 5 p.m. in the assembly room of the Public Works Building, 1025 W. Broadway.