Waupaca County Post

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Advertiser Index
  • Subscribe
  • E-Editions
    • Clintonville Shoppers Guide
    • Clintonville Tribune Gazette
    • New London Buyers Guide
    • New London Press Star
    • Waupaca Buyers Guide
    • Waupaca County Post

Main Menu

  • Home
  • News
    • Video
    • Clintonville News
    • Hortonville News
    • Iola-Scandi News
    • Manawa News
    • New London News
    • Waupaca News
    • Wega-Fremont News
    • Business
  • Covid 19
  • Sports
    • Clintonville Sports
    • Iola-Scandy Sports
    • Manawa Sports
    • New London Sports
      • Leagues
      • Sports
      • Park & Rec Activities
    • Waupaca Sports
    • Wega-Fremont Sports
    • Hortonville Sports
    • Outdoor
    • High School Sports Scores
  • Courts
  • Opinion
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • E-Editions
    • Clintonville Shoppers Guide
    • New London Buyers Guide
    • Waupaca Buyers Guide
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Advertiser Index
  • Subscribe
  • E-Editions
    • Clintonville Shoppers Guide
    • Clintonville Tribune Gazette
    • New London Buyers Guide
    • New London Press Star
    • Waupaca Buyers Guide
    • Waupaca County Post

logo

Waupaca County Post

  • Home
  • News
    • Video
    • Clintonville News
    • Hortonville News
    • Iola-Scandi News
    • Manawa News
    • New London News
    • Waupaca News
    • Wega-Fremont News
    • Business
  • Covid 19
  • Sports
    • Clintonville Sports
    • Iola-Scandy Sports
    • Manawa Sports
    • New London Sports
      • Leagues
      • Sports
      • Park & Rec Activities
    • Waupaca Sports
    • Wega-Fremont Sports
    • Hortonville Sports
    • Outdoor
    • High School Sports Scores
  • Courts
  • Opinion
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
    • View Ads
    • Place Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • E-Editions
    • Clintonville Shoppers Guide
    • New London Buyers Guide
    • Waupaca Buyers Guide
New London NewszHideFeatured
Home›News›New London News›Residents flushed over sewer rate hikes

Residents flushed over sewer rate hikes

By WaupacaNow
October 13, 2016
1005
0

City reiterates they’re necessary

By Scott Bellile


City of New London officials are defending a sewer rate increase that hasn’t gone over well with some citizens.

Customers received letters within their September utility bills stating the monthly rates were to go up Oct. 1. The rates were approved by the New London City Council in July.

In response to the news, Facebook users posted dozens of comments on the public group “You know you’re from New London if” expressing frustration.

Some said they’re fed up with the expenses they pay to live in town. Others snapped back that those who are upset should start going to city government meetings or move altogether.

Untitled-4

The increases
This year’s rate increase is step one of a two-step increase.

The base monthly fixed charge for all users became $2.30, about triple the previous rate of 80 cents. The volume charge for metered users is now $7.19 per 1,000 gallons, a 23 percent increase from the previous $5.84 per 1,000 gallons.

When the step two increase takes place, Oct. 1, 2017, the base monthly fixed charge will jump to $3. The volume charge for metered users will go up to $9.40 per 1,000 gallons.

According to the letter residents received from New London Public Works Director Jeff Bodoh, the average household uses 3,000 gallons a month. The average home paid $18.32 per month before Oct. 1, will now pay $23.87 per month, and could expect to pay $31.20 per month after Oct. 1, 2017.

Officials: The right decision
City and elected officials remained convinced they made the right decision at an Oct. 3 New London Board of Public Works meeting.

“[Residents say] we pay the highest taxes of any city in the area or our sewer rates are the highest of any in the area. This is wrong,” New London Mayor Gary Henke said.

A number of Wisconsin communities have higher rates. Ben Greuel, New London Wastewater Treatment Facility chief operator, provided the board a list of other cities’ sewer rates found in the 2013 MSA Sewer User Charge Survey. Greuel acknowledged some rates were outdated.

Communities with higher rates that attendees at the board meeting singled out were: Clayton/Winchester ($6.50 monthly fixed fee/$15 monthly per 1,000 gallons), Winneconne ($7/$12.02), Marion ($5.50/$9), Shiocton ($3.75/$10.42) and Hortonville ($7.16 monthly fixed fee).

“I looked at some from the whole state and there’s a lot worse out there,” Greuel said.

Greuel said Facebook users have incorrectly cited the city’s water rates in their complaints about the sewer rate increases, so some of the numbers the public has seen are wrong.

Bodoh told the Board of Public Works the average household will pay $313 total for sewer services over the next 12 months.

Reason for the rate hike
According to Bodoh’s letter, “rate increases are never preferred” but the city’s reason for them is Saputo Cheese’s 2014 plant closure.

Saputo accounted for nearly 25 percent of New London’s treatment demand. Now with Saputo gone, the wastewater treatment facility must make up that revenue elsewhere to cover maintenance and upgrades or else risk further deterioration of its facility, Bodoh stated.

The wastewater treatment facility was built to handle the waste produced by Saputo and its predecessors, Greuel wrote in the list of rates by city given to the Board of Public Works.

Without Saputo’s activity, the wastewater treatment facility is now fit to treat a population of 45,000, he wrote. New London has about 7,300 citizens.

Saputo misconceptions
New London City Administrator Kent Hager recently informed city council members over email that rumors are circulating that Saputo Cheese left town because the city wouldn’t sell it additional land.

He said that’s untrue and that the city approached Saputo when Wolf River Lumber donated its 6-acre plot next door to the city. Saputo declined the offer, he said.

According to Saputo’s May 2014 letter to the city announcing the New London closure, the company shut down its plant because the facility was too old and too expensive to upgrade.

About 80 employees were laid off.

TagsNew London sewer rates
Previous Article

Bonding costs lower than expected

Next Article

Eagle bench at Legion Hall

Related articles More from author

  • New London News

    Sewer rate adjustment in the works

    February 1, 2012
    By WaupacaNow
  • New London News

    Council approves sewer rate hike

    June 23, 2016
    By WaupacaNow
  • New London News

    New London’s fixed sewer rate rises again

    January 4, 2019
    By Waupaca Now
  • New London News

    NL dog park gets boost

    September 22, 2010
    By WaupacaNow
  • New London News

    Wolf River Art League celebrates 40 years

    September 15, 2010
    By WaupacaNow
  • New London News

    Newton-Blackmour Trail progress

    October 20, 2010
    By WaupacaNow

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Free WaupacaNow Newsletter

About Us


Waupaca County Post, New London Press Star and Clintonville Tribune-Gazette are published every Thursday by Multi Media Channels. The papers are locally owned, locally operated and locally written. Subscriptions are $59 annually, delivered via U.S. Postal Service.

To subscribe, go www.shopmmclocal.com/product-category/waupacanow-portal or call 715-258-4360

Timeline

  • August 9, 2022

    Bailey starts as library director

  • August 9, 2022

    Bennetts inducted into Hall of Fame

  • August 9, 2022

    City to hire payroll intern

  • August 9, 2022

    Calling 911

  • August 8, 2022

    Court appoints special prosecutor in investigation of sheriff’s office

Find us on Facebook

Copyright © 2022 Multi Media Channels LLC.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted without the prior written consent of Multi Media Channels LLC.
×