The Hobart City Council will consider initial action on a sewage rate increase at its Dec. 4 meeting.
On Tuesday, the city’s sanitary board unanimously approved the rate increases, which average about $3 a month to cover improvements to the city’s aging main lift station. No one spoke at the public hearing.
It’s the second rate increase since 2022 when the city needed to bond about $45 million for the lift station project. The city is still paying off that bond, officials said and the increased revenue will also provide a cushion, if other sewage repairs are needed for the old system.
Mayor Josh Huddlestun said the improvements were necessary to ensure development could continue in the city.
The council could take final action on the rate increase ordinance Dec. 18 and the rates would go into effect in January, officials said.
Residential customers whose usage is 3,000 gallons a month will see their bill go up $2.90 from $58.28 to $61.18 and customers whose usage is 4,000 gallons will see their bill go up $3.31 a month or from $66.67 to $69.88.
Unmetered sanitary district users, who are on well water, will see a reduction in monthly fees from $79.72 to $69.88. Earlier, the sanitary board calculated the average usage data it was using was too high.
City officials celebrated the completion of lift station improvements last week.
A second force main was added from the lift station at 33 Center St. to its connection with a line from the Gary Sanitary District, which treats the sewage. Built in the 1980s, the lift station also received new pumps, electrical components, a transformer as well as site improvements around the facility.
In 2010, the city entered into an agreed order with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to take several measures to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows in the city.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
