City of Bloomington Utilities plans to increase charges for processing septic waste and wastewater brought in from outside city limits.
The city charges about 2 cents per gallon brought by septic haulers and approximately 4 cents per gallon for wastewater it gets from industrial and commercial facilities. The city’s billing rate for grease waste is about 6 cents per gallon.
The city set those rates in 2000, according to an ordinance and resolution submitted this month. It said that based on a study from a consultant this year, the charges “do not produce sufficient revenues to pay all the necessary expenses incidental to the operation.”
The report also said the different types of wastewater CBU treats “typically exhibit strength of the same magnitude” and the different rates don’t reflect the treatment cost.
CBU hired the consulting company Crowe LLP to evaluate the finances of its water treatment services. Crowe’s report is based on operations and expenses from 2023.
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The city should increase its rate to about 18 cents per gallon, according to the study. But the city says increasing the rate that much would disrupt the waste haulers’ businesses.
The Utilities Service Board approved a uniform rate of eight cents per gallon starting in 2026. To go into effect, it needs to be adopted by the city’s common council. The council plans to hear a reading of the new rate on November 19.
Monroe County has about 3,000 houses with septic systems, according to Friends of Lake Monroe.
