Unity authority hikes monthly sewage rate by $3.25 for debt, administrative costs

Jeff Himler, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
·2 min read

Dec. 2—Unity Township Municipal Authority will charge its sewage customers an additional $3.25 per month to help cover debt service and administrative costs.

The new monthly rate, beginning Jan. 1, will be $33. The last time that rate was increased was 2014.

Residential customers will continue to pay a monthly sewage usage fee of $6.80 per 1,000 gallons.

With a monthly usage of 3,650 gallons, the average residential customer will see a combined monthly bill of $57.82, up from $54.57, according to Doug Pike, the authority's operations manager.

For commercial accounts, the monthly debt and administration hike of $3.25 will be applied to each equivalent dwelling unit.

The rate increase approved in December 2014 was intended to meet related authority expenses for five years. "Mindful spending and investing habits have extended that increase through 2021," the authority said in a press release.

According to Pike, the 2022 increase will help the authority meet costs for capital projects and for ongoing work associated with a state consent order and agreement. That order sets forth combined efforts that are required by the Unity authority, the Latrobe Municipal Authority and other affected entities, to alleviate conditions — such as stormwater infiltration — that could cause an excess of waste water to bypass the Latrobe treatment plant.

Over the past seven years, the Unity authority calculates it has spent $3 million on maintenance and replacement projects and $2 million on work related to the consent order. Those respective expenditures are projected at $5.25 million and $2.75 million over the next four years.

According to 2022 Unity authority budget projections, sewage collection and treatment costs are slated to increase by $110,000 from the previous year, administrative costs by $43,000 — each rising by a typical 1%.

Based on past growth, the authority expects to add about 50 equivalent dwelling units annually to its sewage customer base, which would grow revenue by $168,000. The increase in the debt and administration rate is expected to generate an additional $393,000 in revenue.

"This is what is needed to maintain a financially health authority," according to the press release.

Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .