Posted: Jan. 13, 2010

Wauwatosa residents will see their sanitary sewer bills increase about $36 per year in 2010.

The bill is a combination of the fee paid to Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, which is going up $8 annually, and a local fee.

The Common Council on Tuesday raised the local portion of the charges by 26 percent to pay for continued inspection of the city's aging sewer system and work necessary to comply with state and federal mandates.

The increases are driven by several related factors, Public Works Director William Kappel said.

The Engineering Department has said it is understaffed and drowning in projects. The department is slated to undergo a review, and money will be allocated in case consultants recommend hiring additional staff.

In addition, $500,000 has been allocated to the sanitary sewer fund so the city can continue using cameras to televise city pipes to look for leaks or areas likely to fail. Last year, money for this work came from the city's reserve funds.

Finally, the city must comply with the legal settlement with the Department of Justice that requires Wauwatosa to reduce the amount of storm water and sewage leaked into area waterways during heavy rains. This means mandatory manhole and sewer system inspections.

Alderwoman Jacqueline Jay said the inspections are being forced upon Wauwatosa by other government entities, so the city is limited in its ability to keep a lid on costs.

Alderman Peter Donegan had a different viewpoint, saying that the city has neglected its infrastructure for too long. As a result, sewage has made it into area waterways and residents' basements. He likened the state mandates to a parent telling a child to clean up its mess, and said MMSD's increase is reasonable.

"MMSD is not the villain here," Donegan said. "They are issuing a moderate increase. To me, it doesn't feel like it's being imposed on us. We have a responsibility to do something about that."

The sanitary sewer charge hike is just one of the increases Wauwatosa residents likely will see on their water bill in 2010. The city of Milwaukee is looking for communities that are wholesale water customers like Wauwatosa to pay 36 percent more this year.

BY THE NUMBERS

Average residential consumers' quarterly sewer bill over five years

$40.05

in 2006

$48.42

in 2007

$59.46

in 2008

$63.64

in 2009

$72.80

in 2010