KINGFIELD – Selectmen have taken on the challenge of updating the billing system for wastewater disposal.

Selectman Merv Wilson said residences are charged $45 per quarter, based on an average home with four bedrooms using approximately 360 gallons a day.

Over the past 30 years, some homes have been converted into rental units, and state laws define what can be called a living unit. For example, a room with a toilet and sink can be classified as one living unit. Local restaurants, the Health Center, and other nonresidential users may not fall into a living unit classification and may be billed on usage rather that a flat fee.

“Commercial units are different, because the Herbert Hotel can’t be billed for 360 gallons a day for eight living units,” Administrative Assistant Douglas Marble said.

A home converted into a rental duplex may have been billed as a single-family home, and those changes must be addressed. Some units are only seasonal, according to Marble. Property owners rent to Sugarloaf skiers and employees during the winter months, but the units may be empty the rest of the year.

Since the water board of trustees is a quasi-municipal organization with its own billing system, selectmen cannot use water billing units for a comparison. During the summer, Wilson noted, people may be using more water to water their lawns or fill swimming pools, but that water does not go into the wastewater discharge. The system supports 200 customers, which is about 20 percent of the town.

“What we are doing is reviewing the real estate properties in town that we know have rental units, and we may find some people have been underpaying, while others have been overpaying,” Marble said. “We are going by old property valuations from 30 years ago, so we probably won’t be redoing the billing system, but rather making sure everybody is paying their fair share.”

Assessor and Selectman Heather Moody, Town Clerk Leanna Targett, and Marble have begun looking at quarterly records, but if the billing system has to change, selectmen will hold a public hearing and may asked voters to approve amending the wastewater ordinance.

Moody suggested the billing system would not require dramatic modifications, and customers will be notified before implementing any approved rate changes. The town agreed to borrow money to build the wastewater system, but that loan has been paid off. The system will need more repairs as it ages, and taxpayers who are not on the system may be reluctant to pay to fix the system. The goal, selectmen agreed, is to make the system pay for itself.

“The state regulations make it clear that a wastewater treatment plant should be able to support itself through ratepayers, so there is a possibility we may have to raise rates,” Marble said. “But first we want to make sure everyone is paying for what they use.”

If the town has to hold a hearing, selectmen will schedule one in May before the town meeting in June.

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