The Greenwood City Council, faced with the necessity of replacing its wastewater treatment plant, will soon consider increasing sewer rates for city residents and businesses.
David Bowman, vice president with the firm of Neel-Schaffer of Jackson, presented the council with a proposed revised rate structure Thursday.
Under the city’s existing structure, homes that use up to 6,000 units per month — a unit is 1,000 gallons — are charged the same rate of $13.68.
Bowman noted that under the city’s existing structure, households with two members are charged as much as households with four or five members.
He proposed the city break the sewer rate into three categories:
n Class I would cover households using use up to 2,000 units — typically households of two or less.
n Class II would cover households that use 2,000 to 4,000 units — typically households of three or four persons.
n Class III would cover households and businesses using between 4,000 to 6,000 units.
Bowman proposed the city increase its rate for Class I customers by 75 cents each year for the next four years. Class II and Class III customers would have a $2 increase each year over the same four-year period.
Bowman displayed a chart, which displayed the 6,000-unit sewer rates for Columbus ($20.46), Clarksdale ($21.49), Oxford ($25.92) and Vicksburg ($27.30).
The council will consider revising its sewer rate at its next meeting on Aug. 16.
Greenwood Mayor Carolyn McAdams said it is still unclear whether the increases in sewer rates would take effect Oct. 1 or Jan. 1. That matter will be resolved by the Aug. 16 meeting, she said.
• Contact Bob Darden at bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
