“Denver Wastewater raised sanitary sewer rates for its 156,000 customers by 45 percent, increasing the monthly cost to flush by about $6.65.
The rate hike, effective July 1, reflects the pass-through cost of the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District facility being built near Brighton and the cost of maintaining city sewer lines.
“Sanitary sewer usage has increased over the years, and Metro must build a new facility to meet the demand. The new facility will be more efficient and will ensure all EPA regulations are met,” said Denver Public Works spokeswoman Daelene Mix, referring to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “However, it comes at a cost to both the city and county of Denver and its residents.”
Denver contracts for sewage treatment with Metro Wastewater. Metro Wastewater is building a $480 million plant near Brighton to improve service in its 715-square-mile service area that includes 59 towns, cities and wastewater districts, including Denver, Arvada, Aurora, Brighton, Lakewood, Thornton and Westminster.
Mix said this is the city’s first sewer-rate hike since 1995. But it won’t be the last: Sewer rates will increase by 15 percent in 2012 and by 10 percent in 2013, and each year thereafter based on the Consumer Price Index.
About 59 percent of the average Denver sewer bill is paid to Metro. The rest is used to maintain the sewer system for collecting and transporting waste from homes and businesses to Metro for processing.”
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Gibbons, Caitlin. Denver Post 7 July 2011.