After four years of stable sewer use fees, Mayor Jean Stothert is asking the City Council for an ordinance to raise customer rates.
The increased rates each of 5.25 percent would cover 2019-2023, down from the projected increase of nine percent.
The increase applies to residential, commercial, industrial and wholesale users. Wholesale customers are the cities of Bennington, Boys Town, Ralston, Carter Lake, Gretna, La Vista, Papillion and Bellevue.
Stothert says the increase for a typical residential user will be approximately $2.50 per month in 2019, increasing to approximately $3 per month by 2023. The are needed to pay for the federally mandated sewer system overhaul project.
"Obviously, we don't like raising the rates but this is a federal mandate and we really don't want to fight the federal government on this," Stothert says.
Sewer use fees fund a portion of the city's bond debt on the Clean Solutions for Omaha program as well as the operation, maintenance and improvements for wastewater collection and treatment system.