Understanding Your Columbus Utilities Bill

Funding Vital Improvements: The First Rate Increase Since 1992

Columbus City Utilities is preparing Columbus for tomorrow. Thanks to your support, we have been busy improving the city's wastewater collection and treatment system. Our innovative plan will reduce overflows of untreated wastes into local rivers and streams. We have now completed construction on new large diameter sewers, a storm pretreatment and pumping center and an 18 million gallon storage facility to hold the peak flow until it can be returned for treatment. We are now poised to begin work on the replacement of our aging wastewater treatment facility.

Why are we making these improvements? The improvements to our infrastructure will enable our community to compete for jobs, keep the jobs that we have, save tax dollars now directed to maintenance and will help us meet federal and state environmental mandates.

Why didn’t we do these projects at another time? If we delayed the project, repair costs for the existing equipment would continue to increase and replacement parts would become more difficult to obtain. We also run the possibility of having fines and citations issued against the City due to repeated equipment failures. Finally, construction costs are expected to increase considerably. Now is the best time to save ratepayer dollars by moving ahead with the project.

How will the project be funded? Funding for the project will use low interest loans from a state program and a rate adjustment for you and other customers. We aggressively sought available grants and obtained discounts worth $4M from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and further discounts from the Indiana State Revolving Fund worth $2.5M for sustainable (green) construction methods and design.  Best of all we received bids that were dramatically less than was estimated due to the competition for work in the current economy.

How Will the Rate Adjustment Affect My Bill?

The following rate adjustments will take effect June 1st and will appear on your Columbus Utilities bill beginning in July, 2009.   We have gone to a uniform rate system for all our customers regardless of where they live.  If you live in the former Eastern Regional Sewer District or in the Royal View Addition most of you will see an actual decrease in your monthly bill due to the favorable bids received.