Sewer-use rate to increase Jan. 1

NEW LONDON – The city of New London is set to increase the fixed monthly sewer charge by $16.90 per month for all meter sizes starting Jan. 1, 2026.
The New London Common Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to change the sewer user charge rates when it met Oct. 21. This ordinance specifies the rate increase. Ald. Bernie Ritchie Jr. voted against the new ordinance.
The council must approve a second reading of the ordinance before it takes effect.
The increase was discussed at the Oct. 6 New London Board of Public Works meeting. At the meeting, Robert Garske, director of Public Works for the city of New London, told the board that the $16.90 figure would help fund a needed upgrade at the New London Wastewater Treatment Facility.
Garske said that during the process of upgrading the wastewater treatment facility the city could also conduct a rate study, adding that the last rate study was conducted in 2022.

“That is the last year that any increase took place for the collection system for wastewater as a whole,” Garske said.
The city could consider a $9 per month increase, Garske said, but said that amount would be to “nurse and old facility” along.
Or the city could go with the $16.90 per month increase, and also conduct a rate study to determine a proper rate to aim for.
He told the board that a rate study “takes quite a while” to conduct.
Garske acknowledged that the $16.90 per month increase would amount to an increase of $202 per year for the city’s rate payers.
“But, in the end, this rate is going to increase no matter what,” Garske said. “And I would rather be inline or potentially ahead with whatever direction you choose to go versus starting behind.”
New London City Administrator Chad Hoerth told the board that a lot of engineering will need to be completed next year for whatever upgrade to the wastewater treatment facility is chosen.
“We know it’s going to be very expensive, whatever it is, so we need to start funding that,” Hoerth said. “We need to fund the engineering, plus fund the rate study next year, so we know where things are going to end up.”
Hoerth said the city could approved a $16.90 per month increase, while hoping that the rate won’t have to increase by that amount each of the following years.
Ald. BaLynda Croy clarified that there would be a $16.90 per month increase in 2026 and another $16.90 per month increase in the following years. The amount of the increase in following years could be less depending on the direction the city takes in upgrading the wastewater treatment facility.
Even if the city didn’t have to upgrade its wastewater treatment facility, Board Chairman John Hass said there would be at least a $5 increase per month to the fixed monthly sewer chargejust to cover maintenance of the facility.
“In the real world for plant operational and no upgrade needed, that’s barebones minimum would be $5, just because of the costs of everything,” Garske said.
Hoerth said through discussions with representatives of the USDA, the city was told its sewer rates were low in comparison to other municipalities.
“The city has kept the rates extremely low for how many years,” Hoerth said. “On one hand it’s a good thing. We’re happy to keep the rates low. But on the second hand, now we have to start paying for improvements based on what the DNR is telling us we have to do.”
While the fixed monthly sewer charge will be increasing, the volume charge will not be changing at this time, Garske said.