LYNCHBURG, Va. – People living in Lynchburg are facing a possible increase in their monthly water, sewer and stormwater rates.
Under the fiscal year 2023 budget, city leaders are looking to raise rates to take care of water resource infrastructure and those who work it. It’s part of their plan to take care of a problem that’s been around for decades.
“We take it very seriously and we don’t want to increase rates unless we have to,” said Tim Mitchell, Director of Lynchburg Water Resources.
The budget would increase water rates by 3.6% to $2.77 per hundred cubic feet. Stormwater would increase 4.25% to $4.17 per single-family unit. The sewer rates would increase 17.6% to $7.22 per hundred cubic feet.
If approved, Mitchell said the average monthly bill for a Lynchburg resident would go up by about $6. Lynchburg’s current average monthly bill is at $66.61.
The Hill City already has one of the highest yearly sewer rates in the Commonwealth. This is because of the city’s combined sewer overflow (CSO) consent order, which strives to minimize the amount of untreated wastewater going into the James River.
“The CSO consent order dictates what our minimum sewer rates can be,” Mitchell said. “That’s tied to the median household income. We were out of compliance last year, so we have to catch up.”
Last summer, the city received $25 million to help finish the project and ease the burden on Lynchburg residents.
However, inflation continues to take its toll.
“The big factor and reason we’re behind is the consumer price index has increased significantly because of inflation,” Mitchell said.
He added many of their costs to complete projects have nearly doubled.
In the past six years, there’s been just one sewer rate increase. It came in 2017. Mitchell says they hope to complete the project in the next five years to avoid raising rates.
City leaders met Thursday night at 4 p.m. to discuss the proposed raises. They will meet again, and possibly make a decision, on Tuesday.