Brevard County's Utility Services Department is proposing that water and sewer rates for its customers increase during each of the next five years.
County commissioners must approve the proposals. Last week, commissioners unanimously authorized advertising publichearings related to the increases, putting the rate-setting process in motion. If commissioners approve the plan, the increases would take effect in early 2022.
Under the proposal, water and sewer rates would increase for Brevard utilities customers on Merritt Island, along the South Beaches, and in North Brevard, Port St. John and the south-central mainland by the following amounts:
- 2022: 6.5%
- 2023: 8.5%
- 2024: 8.5%
- 2025: 8.5%
- 2026: 7.5%
Within the Barefoot Bay Water and Sewer District System, the proposedwater and sewer rate increases would be larger, and would occur for the next four years:
- 2022: 10.0%
- 2023: 13.0%
- 2024: 13.0%
- 2025: 13.0%
More:Fire fee hike hits lower income households harder than rich, FLORIDA TODAY found
More:Commissioners vote 3-2 for new trash contract with Waste Management, 39% rate increase
The proposed rate increases would not affect customers of other water and sewer systems in the county, such as ones operated by Cocoa, Melbourne, Palm Bay and Titusville. Those cities set the rates for their customers, many of whom live outside the boundaries of those cities.
Reasons for proposed increases
In a memo to county commissioners, Utility Services Director Edward Fontanin said the increases are needed to help pay for:
- Investments to comply with Florida environmental statutes.
- Replacing treatment plant facilities that are beyond their useful life and increasing capacity for future development in Barefoot Bay, Mims and Port St. John.
- Providing money to supplement future septic-to-sewer construction costs.
- Increasing the operations and maintenance effort in order to continue reliability throughout the utility system.
"The Utility Services Department has conducted a needs and assessment of functionality, reliability and capacity of the entire county utility facilities, in order to meet the needs and demands driven by future utility connections, and state and federal regulations," Fontanin said in his memo. "Raftelis Financial Consultants Inc. conducted a review of the department’s revenue projections to the future investment required to be made to the water and sewer system. Our estimation of future investment over a 10-year period will be $460 million," including $63 million to comply with Florida statutes.
County Commissioner Bryan Lober said the projects will help reduce the chance of pollutants going into the Indian River Lagoon.
"You can't complain that the river isn't good, but we don't want to allow the commission to do anything to fix it," Lober said.
Lober cited, for example, county wastewater lift stations that are far older than their design life.
"These things are time bombsthat are waiting to go off," Lober said.
Lober also said the costs of upgrades are increasing, in part, because of supply shortages, increases in the minimum wage and inflation.
Residents speak against plan
Two local residents spoke during public comment against the proposed rate increases.
Ronaldas Jurgutis, a resident of Pineda Crossing Drive, just outside Melbourne, said the proposed series of annual rate increases are "egregious," and would hurt senior citizens and other people on who are fixed incomes.
Sandra Sullivan of South Patrick Shores also criticized the proposal, noting that it follows increases in county trash collection fees and fire assessment fees.
Sullivan is one of four announced candidates for Brevard County Commission in District 4 for 2022, seeking to succeed Curt Smith, who cannot seek reelection because of term limits.
Under the county's proposal, the average residential sewer bill for Brevard County Utility Services Department customers outside of Barefoot Bay would increase from the current $46.12 a month to $49.12 a month in 2022. That compares with average rates of $47.23 for Melbourne utility customers, $54.75 for Palm Bay customers, $54.88 for Cocoa customers and $55.49 for Titusville customers.
Under the proposal, the average combined residential sewer and water bill for Brevard County Utility Services Department customers would increase from the current $74.40a month to $79.24 a month in 2022. That compares with average rates of $78.85 for Melbourne utility customers, $82.84 for Palm Bay customers, $89.26 for Cocoa customers and $89.94 for Titusville customers.
Within the Barefoot Bay Water and Sewer District System, the proposed 2022 rates would be $77.08 for sewer service and $114.15 for combined sewer and water service.
Ratepayers will be notified of upcoming rate increase hearings through a newspaper legal notice and through notices mailed to them intheir water and sewerbills.
Because of the timeline for inserting the notices in utility bills, the county expects the rate proposal to come before the County Commission in March and, if approved, for it to take effect for the April billing cycle.
In future years, beyond those specified in the rate increase proposals, the plan calls for annual rate increases to be tied to the annual changes in a special consumer price index for sewer and water maintenance.
Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY.Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bydaveberman.
Support local journalism and journalists like me. Subscribe today.
