The first of four town hall meetings for Rockdale residents to discuss, and give input on new water and sewer rates to overhaul the city’s water/wastewater system is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at New Hope Baptist Church.
City council members are discussing a $48.69-million plan to eliminate about 26 miles of cast iron pipe—some of it well over 100 years old—and five miles of asbestos aluminum pipe.
Under the option now being considered by the council “average” residential monthly water and sewer bills would go from the current $73.84 to $106.69 this year and $177.63 by 2023.
That “average” bill is defined as a customer with a 3¾-inch meter, using 6,200 gallons of water and 4,000 gallons wastewater.
It does not include charges for trash collection, fees or taxes.
Even if no changes are made to the water or wastewater systems—described as “failing” by City Manager Chris Whittaker in September—bills are forecast to go to $93.21 this year and $106.91 from 2020 to 2024.
All the numbers and rates are projections and may change if actual experience differs from current assumptions, the city noted.
In December, New Gen Strategies & Solutions presented options for funding the water and sewer projects to the city council.
The council chose as a recommended scenario the option which listed the least impact on water rates.
RED WATER—The project is designed to finally rid Rockdale of its at least six-decade-old “red water” problem.
In addition to replacing water lines, the project will replace the Mill Street Water Plant, upgrade the Texas Street Plant, build a new water tower and combine the two “water planes” in the city to improve pressure.
Whittaker pointed out both facets—new pipes and new treatment facilities—are needed to eliminate the red water problem.
“For more than a half century the city’s water treatment plants have produced iron and manganese laden drinking water...which have now resulted in an accumulation of iron and manganese sediment in the pipes,” he said.
The Mill Street plant, Rockdale’s primary facility, was built in 1954. “Neither it nor the Texas Street Plant were designed to handle treatment for iron and manganese,” he said.
DISCUSSION—Items to be discussed in the meetings include:
• Current condition of our utilities.
• Potential improvement costs.
• What happens if we do nothing?
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality compliance.
• New rate proposal.
• Alternatives considered.
• Public concern about affordable water costs.
SURVEY—There’s an online survey available for input and Rockdale residents may also go online and calculate an estimate for their new water and wastewater bills if the current proposal under consideration is adopted.
To take the survey, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/rockdalewaterratesurvey.
To calculate your water bill do the following:
• Go to http://www.rockdalecityhall.com/.
• In the box at the left, click “forms and documents.”
• Scroll all the way down the right-hand column and find the “water” heading. The second “hot spot” is Bill Calculator Click on it.
You’re going to need a recent water bill for the figures you will need to enter in order to calculate your total.
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