News : Vinton faces $20-30M sewer repair/update bill; large rate increase urged

When the Vinton City Council gathered at City Hall on Thursday night, they were expecting to hear some possibly bad news regarding the condition of the city’s sanitary sewer system, and the cost of repairing it and adding new updates to meet current environmental regulations.

City officials had previously learned that fixing leaks in the system where rain water enters the sanitary system, along with making environmental updates mandated by federal rules, could cost $10 million or more.

But the report – and the numbers – the council heard on Thursday were not just bad – they were so horribly frightening that they motivated Mayor John Watson to use an unprintable pun to describe their impact.

“You have a $20 million to $30 million problem,” said Derick Anderson, who spent most of an hour reviewing a 30-page report that details the flaws of the current system, and the estimates for fixing the leaks and achieving the environmental standards set by state and federal DNR and EPA regulators.

And, said Anderson, deadlines for making those improvements are looming within the next few years. The Iowa DNR has already begun renewing the city’s sewer permit, which uses the initials NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System). The DNR is concerned about rain water entering the system, leading to overflow problems. The permit also requires the city to make improvements to the sewage treatment plant which will kill e-coli bacteria with a UV system, and filter out copper and nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus).

Anderson told the council that he and his staff are working with the DNR on extending some of those deadlines, but he also said resisting these mandates would be futile. Other Iowa communities are facing the same challenges; Fort Dodge has an $80 million estimated repair report.

The original review indicated that the city may have to spend $10-15 million, Anderson said, adding that he was very surprised at the information the assessments revealed.

Huge sewer rate increase recommended

After detailing the unexpectedly high dollar figures, Anderson then addressed numbers that the federal government finds unacceptably low: The monthly Vinton sewer bill.

Anderson showed the council a report that indicated that the average bill for a household using 5,000 gallons per month is around $18. That amount, he said, is about 0.4 percent of the average household income. In order for a city to qualify for federal grants and loans to help cover the costs of sewer system repairs, the bills should be between 1.5 and 2 percent of average income. At that percentage, the average Vinton sewer bill would be more than $80.

Telling the council that the city’s rates are now lower than most other communities, Anderson recommended an increase that would increase the average monthly bill to around $40.

“I’m scared s-less,” said Mayor Watson, who said the pun was unintentional. “You can imagine my reaction to what you are saying.”

Watson quizzed Anderson on what would happen to cities that ignored DNR mandates. Anderson said that the DNR has enforcement tools, and also that the federal EPA also can become involved if a community does not cooperate with the DNR.

“We’re going to have to do something,” said the Mayor. “It better be something sooner rather than later.”

For now, at least, the sewer rates will remain the same.

When Watson asked City Manager Chris Ward what the council should do, Ward replied with one word: “Digest.”

The council agreed. The sewer project – and the recommended increase in city sewer rates – will be on council agendas in the near future. Anderson and others from the McClure Engineering Co. will continue to work with the city and DNR officials on what the city must do, and when, and how to fund these repairs and improvements.