AUBURN – Water District trustees approved an 8 percent rate increase after a public hearing Wednesday night. The first cost increase since January 2002 will begin in June.
Two New Auburn residents disputed the district’s priorities, claiming that trustees give New Auburn a lower priority than other areas of the city.
Only three Water District customers attended the hearing.
Fred Carpentier, a Cook Street resident, and Marilyn Thompson, of Bolster Street, disputed district construction priorities. Century-old water mains on Bolster and Cook streets were relined last summer.
Thompson said she has had sediment coming through taps in her home since the relining. She also said she has had the water tested, and algae was found. She presented several used water filters from a filtration system in her home and one new filter to the trustees. The used filters all had greenish-brown discoloration.
“You can see that our water doesn’t look good at all,” she said. “I was hoping that when they did the project that our water would improve.”
Superintendent Norm Lamie said the district needs to replace or reline about 130 miles of water main that has been in the ground for about 100 years. Relining pipes extend their life about 50 more years, he said. However, “we don’t try to allocate projects by the age of the pipe. We try to allocate projects by the need. I don’t think it’s fair to say New Auburn is left out.”
Carpentier replied that he disagreed with Lamie’s statement.
Carpentier and Thompson called for the installation of a systemwide filtration system.
Lamie said the cost of building a water treatment plant would be between $24 and $30 million. Such a project would increase water rates approximately three times their current level, he said. Lamie used Augusta as an example. That city’s water rates are $104.03 per quarter for 2,000 cubic feet of water. Auburn’s current quarterly rate for the same usage is $36.16. With the 8 percent increase, Auburn ratepayers will pay $39.05.
Lamie said about $1 million in financing for distribution system improvements over the past five years and additional projects slated for this year necessitated the rate increase. Temporary bank financing funded several projects completed between 2000 and 2004. Now, refinancing through the federally funded State Revolving Loan Fund is necessary.
Auburn water rates are currently the third-lowest in Maine. After the rate increase becomes effective, Auburn will be sixth-lowest. Lisbon is the lowest with a quarterly rate of $28.08.
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