County sewer rates going up in January

Rates will go up Jan. 1 for Spokane County sewer customers to raise money for a new $106 million sewage treatment plant.

County commissioners Tuesday approved a new rate structure that calls for single-family residential sewer bills to go from $27.68 this year to $33.46 next year. The charge will go to $35.34 in 2009, $36.63 in 2010, $37.49 in 2011 and $38.44 in 2012.

Homeowners who earn less than $35,000 a year and are at least 62 years old or disabled will get a 20 percent discount. They will pay $26.77 next year and $28.27, $29.30, $29.99 and $30.75 in subsequent years.

The basic residential rate could go up $1.50 a month more, depending on how commissioners decide to pay their $750,000 share of a state-required $2 million-a-year program to protect the Spokane River from phosphorus that comes from sources other than sewage.

Commissioners asked Utilities Director Bruce Rawls to look for ways to spread the cost to everyone who contributes phosphorus to the river – by fertilizing lawns or other means that don’t involve sewers – not just sewer customers.

One thing that won’t change is the $1,885 charge for homeowners who have been ordered to hook up to the county sewer system but haven’t yet had their turn in a phased connection program. Commissioners decided it would be unfair to raise the charge for people who are at the end of the hookup schedule through no fault of their own.

Spokane Home Builders Association representative Sara Orrange argued that it would be unfair to subsidize the charge for owners of existing homes while raising it next year to $3,635 for new homes.

Rawls said the existing-home hookups are being subsidized by aquifer protection fees and monthly sewage rates – not the higher hookup charge for new construction.