“Our customers aren’t going to see much of a decrease” in their water and sewer bills from the City of Raleigh, Town Manager Mark Williams said during Thursday afternoon’s start to the town board’s annual planning retreat.
The reason? Raleigh will be raising its sewer rates by 14 percent. Right now Wake Forest homeowners are being billed by Raleigh – which owns the water and sewer system – but they are billed at the rates set by the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners.
The town has been paying off the $19 million cost of merging its systems with Raleigh but still does not know exactly what the cost will be for two big sewer lines in the Smith and Richland creek basins. Earlier estimates were about $18 million.
The town has been raising its water and sewer rates, the City of Raleigh has been raising its rates, which were very low until recent years. The difference between the rates has narrowed. Raleigh also has begun a tiered billing procedure with higher rates for more usage.
Williams said not only is he not sure of the exact month when the payoff will be complete, he is not sure of when the town should adjust its rates to match Raleigh’s.
Other details to clear up include future ownership of the town’s former water treatment plant and the Smith Creek Reservoir. The city will continue to own the pump station and the clear wells at the plant, Williams said, because they are using them.
“The dam and the reservoir are the only things that can be conveyed back. We want to lease it from them with language that we can use the reservoir and the land around it for recreation. We want to build a soft trail around it,” Williams said.
In answer to a question, Williams said, “Raleigh owns the fire hydrants.” The city is also responsible for repairing or replacing them, but the Wake Forest Fire Department handles the job of breathing and working them – making sure they are in good condition. They also paint them.
“They like to do it because of their color coding,” Williams said. “They can ride by and it lets them know this is a good hydrant.” Wake Forest fire hydrants are yellow with blue, green and orange tops. Blue hydrants have the highest water pressure.
The reservoir and its protection along with the protection of the Smith Creek basin south of the reservoir to the Neuse River came up again Friday morning when Deputy Town Manager Roe O’Donnell said there are opportunities to purchase two properties to help protect the creek, which is badly impaired. Almost all of the town’s growth in recent years has taken place in the Smith Creek basin.
The state Division of Water Quality could increase requirements for building or limit development on the entire creek basin, O’Donnell said, based on the level of impairment.
O’Donnell said former town resident and planning board member Ward Marotti has been hired to conduct a study (apparently through DWQ) “to see exactly what problems there are with the stream and what is its impairment.”
Dr. Bill Hedrick is apparently willing to sell 14 acres of his land on both sides of a Smith Creek tributary for $590,000.
In addition, there are 128 acres in part of the Traditions subdivision above the reservoir and Oak Grove Church Road which could be or are available with a price tag of $3.8 million.
The land is “gorgeous,” O’Donnell said, “suitable for soft trails and passive recreation.
He said Assistant Town Engineer Holly Miller has been diligent in looking for ways the town could get grants to help pay for the purchase. Wake County has open space grants which would pay for 40 percent of each, and the best bet for serious grant money is the Clean Water Management Trust Fund. The town has applied for both grants for the two properties. During the latest round of grants from the CWMTF the Traditions property was the first below the cutoff line and the Hedrick property was third. There will be another round of grants announced in April, and it is possible both grants will be approved.
2 Responses
Did I read correctly? Did Wake Forest own the treatment plant and the Smith Creek Reservoir? Was it sold to Raleigh? And now Wake Forest wants to lease it back from Raleigh? What happened here?
When Wake Forest increased it’s water/sewer rates two years ago, resulting in an increase of over 22% over the past 2 years, we were told that the rates would come down in mid 2014 as the Town’s debt to Raleigh was paid off. Just a few months ago, news came out of a roughly 15% decrease being possible for the water/sewer rates and that the debt would be paid off earlier than anticipated, probably by June 2014. Now on their Retreat, we find out that the rates will not be going down to anywhere close to what they were 2 years ago, BEFORE the 22% increase kicked in. Since when do we, the residents of Wake Forest let Raleigh determine our water and sewer rates. Isn’t it time to take back control of our infrastructure ? Why do the Town leaders accept what Raleigh tells them without so much as a whimper ? The water/sewer rates were high enough before the 22% increase, they should now be reduced by the same amount as promised by our Town leaders. The latest talk is to float a bond for road improvements and greenways, why bother if the water/sewer rates keep rising, whose is going to be here to use them…..