Swampscott Water Rates May Rise Under New Tiered Proposal

Swampscott MA

04 August, 2021

9:39 AM

Description

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — Water and sewer rates could be on the rise for many Swampscott residents under a proposal that town officials said is necessary to correct inequities in how ratepayers are currently charged for services. Under the recommendations, officials said, the new tiered structure will help stabilize rates for the average single-family home resident. Officials said 80 percent of the town's ratepayers will see an increase of less than $75 in Fiscal Year 2022 if the new system passes a Select Board vote on Aug. 25. "For years we've seen a real inequity in how our community pays for this critical resource," Swampscott Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald said in a statement. "It is the town's responsibility to ensure that the cost of water is shared as fairly among consumers as possible while also upholding our responsibility as a town to control these costs and keep them as low as possible. "The proposed changes will ensure that every resident pays the same cost per gallon for water and sewer. That is not the case currently and the equitable thing to do is to fix this now." The Select Board sets the rates each year based on charges incurred from the Lynn Sewer District and the Massachusetts Water Resources Association. The Select Board took on the rate inequities in the fall and created a public committee to develop a new tiered rate system. The Water & Sewer Rate Committee began meeting in March and came up with the proposed system based on regional research and dozens of tier models. "I want to thank this committee for tackling this very important, and very challenging public issue," said Select Board member Neal Duffy, who has served on the Water & Sewer Rate Committee. "This was not an easy solution, and I believe with the expertise at the table, we have determined the best option for ensuring fairness for all ratepayers." Residents are advised that because the new rates will be based on Select Board's decision on the tiered proposal on Aug. 25, this month's water and sewer bills will be sent out at the end of the month. Did you find this article useful? Invite a friend to subscribe to Patch. (Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)