CATSKILL — The Village Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing May 22 on a proposed resolution to increase village water and sewer rates by 10 percent.
With the water line project on Main Street beginning in August or September and the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) project scheduled to begin next year, the village’s engineers said trustees would have to increase rates 20% over the next five to 10 years, said Village President Joseph Kozloski.
“We received grant money for the projects but it won’t be enough to cover everything and at the end of it, we will have to take bonds out,” Kozloski said. “Increasing the rates by 10% now is to be proactive.”
The village received a $21 million grant for the CSO project and the waterline project will cost $28 million.
The board is attempting to get ahead of anticipated price increases when the infrastructure project is completed so residents will not be hit with a significant price hike, Kozloski added.
Residents who use village water and sewers have not seen a rate increase since 2019, Kozloski said.
“If you look at the rates for the surrounding villages, our rates are the lowest in the area,” he said. “I wish we didn’t have to increase them, but to make sure our residents are getting better quality water and to continue separating the sanitary sewers from street sewers, it’s something we have to do.”
Residents are paying roughly $4 to $5 per unit, which equals about 720 gallons, for water and the same amount for sewer per quarter, Kozloski said.
The village charges residents a minimum of $3.82 per unit usage fee for water and $3.66 per unit usage fee for sewer for up to 10 units, or about 7,200 gallons, for each service. The fee schedule increases as the water and sewer usage rises over 10 units. An average resident pays about $80 per quarter for water and sewers, and that amount would go up $8 to about $88 per quarter, or a total increase of about $32 annually, Kozloski said.
To maintain and improve the water and sewer infrastructure, a price hike is needed, according to the resolution.
“It is necessary to adjust water and sewer fees to cover the costs of operation, maintenance, and future upgrades of the water and sewer systems,” according to the resolution.
The sewer project’s goal is to eliminate combined sewer outfalls into the Hudson River and Catskill Creek. The separation of storm and sanitary sewers has surpassed the capacity of the village’s wastewater treatment plant.
For the waterline project, the Main Street pipe is the oldest in the village and with multiple residences and businesses connected to it through lead pipes, replacing it will give them better quality water, Kozloski said.
“We just want to be as proactive as possible,” he said.
Approval of the sewer and water price increase by the board will result in the new fees beginning July 1.
The board is accepting public comment at the meeting and in writing prior to the public hearing.
The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. May 22 at the Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center, 15 Academy St.