HomeMy WebLinkAboutMWMC June Communication PacketMWMC Communication Packet
June 17, 2021
FY21-22 Rates Brochure Commission Memo
2021 Spring eld Rate Brochure
2021 Eugene Rate Brochure
Regional Wastewater Program Monthly Report— May 2021
The next meeting will be Friday, July 9, 2021 at 7:30 a.m.
Photo Credit: David N. Jones
M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: June 18, 2021
TO: Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC)
FROM:
Katherine Bishop, Environmental Services Program Manager
April Miller, Communications Coordinator
SUBJECT: FY 21-22 Wastewater and Stormwater Rates Brochures
ACTION
REQUESTED: Communication Packet
_____________________________________________________________________
ISSUE
In partnership with the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC), the
cities of Springfield and Eugene produce Wastewater & Stormwater Services brochures each
June to inform customers of the local and regional rates adopted for the upcoming fiscal year
starting July 1st. The 2021 Rates Brochures are attached to this memo and can be viewed on
page 3 (Springfield) and page 5 (Eugene).
BACKGROUND
The brochures are distributed both as a printed material and digitally. Brochures are included
as a bill insert with July bills mailed to Springfield Utility Board (SUB) and Eugene Water &
Electric Board (EWEB) customers. Over 80,000 brochures are mailed out between the two
utilities. Customers who are signed up for auto payment also receive the rate brochure
electronically or by mail with their billing statement. Additionally, each city posts their
brochure to the city website, and the MWMC posts both brochures to its website.
The focus of the Rates Brochures is threefold:
1. Transparency with community members on any rate changes that will be
implemented in the upcoming fiscal year
2. Explanation of roles the City of Springfield/City of Eugene, MWMC, and SUB/EWEB play
in setting local wastewater and stormwater rates, regional wastewater rates, and
serving as billing agents, respectively
3. Information on what wastewater and stormwater fees fund for both the cities and
MWMC, as well as their impacts on water quality
Memo: FY 21-22 Wastewater and Stormwater Rates Brochures
June 18, 2021
Page 2 of 2
-Communication Packet-
Additionally, the brochure helps the MWMC fulfill its Key Outcome #5 – achieve public
awareness and understanding of the MWMC, the regional wastewater system, and the
MWMC’s objectives for maintaining water quality and a sustainable environment – as an
identified tactic in the 2021 MWMC Communications Plan.
This informational piece is a collaborative effort between the City of Springfield’s
Environmental Services Division Budget and Communications staff, as well as the City of
Eugene’s Public Works Department Budget and Communications staff. For Springfield’s 2021
brochure, Communications staff transferred the file from Adobe Illustrator to Adobe InDesign
for increased efficiency and ease of updating for future years.
DISCUSSION
Please take a few moments to review the document and be on the lookout for a printed
brochure coming in your July SUB or EWEB bill. For more information, contact Katherine
Bishop, Environmental Services Program Manager at 541.726.3674 or kbishop@springfield-
or.gov.
RECOMMENDATION
Informational only.
ACTION REQUESTED
Informational only.
City of Springfield
Annual Rate Notification
July 2021 541.726.3696
Wastewater and Stormwater Services
Stormwater Services
Stormwater: rain and
runoff that flows over hard
surfaces directly into storm
drains and to waterways.
As our City grows, natural
areas are covered by
hard surfaces that do not
allow rain to soak into
the ground. Underground pipes and catch basins,
along with stormwater facilities, are built to prevent
flooding and filter pollutants from stormwater.
Fees fund Springfield’s State-required stormwater
management program that includes construction
and maintenance of the system, such as:
Cleaning and maintaining more than 200 miles
of stormwater pipelines and 6,500 catch basins
Sweeping 6,000 miles of paved streets
Maintaining and inspecting water quality
facilities such as ponds, swales, and rain gardens
Addressing illicit stormwater discharges
Providing community education programs
Improving Water Quality
Stormwater runoff picks
up everything on the
ground from pet waste
to motor oil and carries
those pollutants directly
to local waterways. Proper
management improves the quality of stormwater
entering the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, for
better recreational opportunities and a healthier
environment. Learn more at springfieldstreams.org.
Stormwater charges are assessed on all properties
in the City of Springfield (Springfield Code 4.204).
The Springfield City Council approved a 2.5%
stormwater rate change to fund stormwater capital
projects and programs, effective on bills issued on
and after July 1, 2021.
City of Springfield
225 Fifth Street
Springfield, OR 97477
541.726.3696
springfield-or.gov
Stormwater Monthly Fee Schedule
*Residential: $15.62
**Commercial Very Heavy
>70%
Heavy
41-70%
Moderate
20-40%
Light
<20%
Undeveloped
0%
Base Fee per 1,000 sq ft
Impact fee per 1,000 sq ft
$1.814
$2.724
$1.814
$1.588
$1.814
$0.456
$1.814
$0.000
$0.000
$0.000
Total Rate per 1,000 sq ft $4.538 $3.402 $2.270 $1.814 $0.000
*Residential includes single family residential and duplex households.
**Commercial is based on percentage of property development (impervious surface).
***In addition to the total Commercial rate above, an Administrator Fee of $1.802 per account is applied monthly.
Wastewater Services
Wastewater: water
from inside buildings
(sinks, toilets, etc.)
that is cleaned at the
wastewater
treatment plant
before being
returned to the Willamette River.
Local (City of Springfield) wastewater fees help
collect and transport wastewater from homes and
businesses to the regional wastewater treatment
plant. Regional (Metropolitan Wastewater
Management Commission or MWMC) fees
support the cleaning of wastewater at the treatment
plant, operated by the MWMC.
Wastewater fees are billed to users connected to the
regional wastewater treatment plant (Springfield
Code 4.204). Wastewater fees fund:
Capital planning and construction facilities
Operation and maintenance of pipelines, pump
stations, and wastewater treatment equipment
Industrial Pretreatment oversight of commercial
and industrial users
Water quality monitoring and testing
Community outreach, including facility tours
We Clean Water 24/7/365
The MWMC’s regional wastewater treatment plant
is located on River Avenue in Eugene. The treatment
plant and pump stations operate around the
clock to collect and treat wastewater from homes,
businesses, and industries before returning the
cleaned water to the Willamette River. Roughly 12
billion gallons of wastewater are cleaned every year.
Wastewater charges include a base MWMC charge
of $14.02 per month and a flow-based fee for the
amount of water used and customer category.
The flow-based fee is a combination of City of
Springfield and MWMC wastewater service rates
per unit (748 gallons) of water used. The MWMC
approved a 3.5% rate change in regional fees, and
City Council approved a 3% change in local fees,
effective on bills issued on and after July 1, 2021.
Your Wastewater Bill Varies Seasonally
The flow portion of your wastewater bill
is based on units of water consumed.
One unit equals 748 gallons. Flow fees
are determined from water meter readings from
December through April. From May through
November, bills are based on the average of the
winter usage or actual usage, whichever is less.
For accounts with fewer than three months usage,
bills are based on seven (7) units or actual usage,
whichever is less.
Why are City fees on my SUB bill?
The City of Springfield adopts and administers
the wastewater and stormwater service fees. SUB
has no relationship with the City’s wastewater or
stormwater system operation rates and acts only
as the City’s billing agent. For wastewater and
stormwater billing questions, please call:
City of Springfield
541.726.3696
springfield-or.gov
mwmcpartners.org
Wastewater Monthly Fee Schedule
Wastewater Flow-Based Fee (per unit - 748 gallons)
Residential
Customers
Commercial/Industrial Customers
Low
Strength
400*
Medium
Strength
800*
High
Strength
1200*
Very High
Strength
1600*
Super High
Strength
Over 1600*
MWMC $2.087 $2.803 $4.084 $5.796 0$7.512 0$9.224
City of Springfield $3.684 $3.684 $3.684 $3.684 0$3.684 0$3.684
Total $5.771 $6.487 $7.768 $9.480 $11.196 $12.908
*Average total biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids in milligrams per liter (mg/L)
Base charge: A regional (MWMC) monthly base charge of $14.02 is applied to each account.
Did you
know?
Treatment Plant
Wastewater Flow-Based Fee (per 1,000 gallons) (proposed to be effective July 1, 2021)
Commercial/Industrial Customers
Service Residential Low Medium High Very High Super High
Category Strength Strength Strength Strength Strength
400* 800* 1,200* 1,600* > 1,600*
MWMC (regional) $2.788 $3.749 $5.461 $7.749 $10.043 $12.333
City of Eugene (local) $2.543 $2.543 $2.543 $2.543 $2.543 $2.543
Total $5.331 $6.292 $8.004 $10.292 $12.586 $14.876
*Combined biochemical oxygen demand and suspended solids in milligrams per liter (mg/L)
What is wastewater?The regional wastewater treatment plant is vital to protecting public health and the environment. The treatment plant removes human waste, chemicals, grease, and other contaminents that are put in our sanitary sewer system. The water goes through a series of mechanical, biological, and chemical processes before being released into the Willamette River. Discharging clean, healthy water into the river is essential to communities downstream that rely on the river for drinking water. All properties connected to the public wastewater system pay wastewater fees. Eugene provides local wastewater collection services, and the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC), a partnership of Lane County and the cities of Eugene and Springfield, operates the regional wastewater collection and treatment facilities.
Wastewater fees
Use of Wastewater Fees
Regional Treatment System Costs 58%
Local Wastewater Collection Costs 42%
How your wastewater fees are used every yearLocal and regional wastewater fees pay for the collection and conveyance of wastewater through nearly 850 miles of wastewater lines and for the operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment facilities.
◆ Operate and maintain 30 pump stations (27 local, 4 regional)
◆ Inspect/clean almost 390 miles of wastewater lines per year
◆ Treat over 12 billion gallons of wastewater per year
◆ Conduct more than 35,000 water quality tests
◆ Process 2,000 dry tons of biosolids per year
◆ Invest in capital improvements
◆ Meet water quality regulations to protect the environment
Typical Residential Monthly Bill(assumes 5,000 gallons monthly usage)
Basic Charge (MWMC): $14.02
Flow-Based Fee (MWMC): $13.94
Total Regional Fee: $27.96
Local Flow-Based Fee: $12.72
Total Monthly Fee: $40.68
Stormwater &WastewaterUser Fees
Public Works
JULY 2021
Protecting water quality in our community
Water from your roof or lawn picks up oil from cars, sediment, bacteria, grease, and other chemicals associated with urban life. Instead of going into the ground —Mother Nature’s natural filter—those contaminants are carried through our storm pipes and go directly into the Amazon Creek or Willamette River. To help protect our valuable clean water resources and to meet strict water quality regulations set by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Eugene’s City Council adopted a stormwater management plan (SWMP) in 1993 that provides the framework for assessing all prop-erties in Eugene for the cost of managing this system.
Keeping Water Clean With more than 170,000 people in Eugene, there are a lot of extra contaminants funneled to the river from impervi-ous (non-porous) surfaces. City staff uses stormwater fees to help mitigate contaminants of the runoff by providing services such as street sweeping, removing sediment from the storm drain system, and building and maintaining rain gardens. A functioning stormwater system also reduces the risk of flooding.
The average residential customer pays $15.45 per
month, and larger properties pay more.
Stormwater fees 1 Duplex rates are modified, based on the building footprint and building configuration
2 Building footprint is equal to or less than 1,000 square feet (sf).
3 Building footprint is greater than 1,000 sf and less than 3,000 sf.
4 Building footprint is 3,000 sf or greater
Stormwater Monthly Fee Schedule (proposed to be effective July 1, 2021)
Fees for residential stormwater customers are based on the size of the building footprint. Footprint is the combined square footage of the garage/carport and the first floor of the home.
User Small Medium LargeCategory1 Residential2 Residential3 Residential4 Commercial/Industrial
Rate Components:
Impervious Surface $7.85 $12.64 $4.36 per 1,000 sf $4.36 per 1,000 sf
Street-Related $2.17 $2.17 $2.17 $1.55 per 1,000 sf
Administrative
(per account) $0.64 $0.64 $2.03 $2.03 Total Monthly Fee $10.66 $15.45 Varies Varies
Users may qualify for reduced stormwater fees if the quantity of stormwater discharge to the public system is reduced or the quality impact is reduced through on-site stormwater treatment.
What is stormwater?Stormwater is runoff from hard surfaces in urban areas that must be channeled to prevent flooding, protected or treated to remove contaminants, and finally returned back to our rivers.
Use of Stormwater Fees
How stormwater fees are used every year:
◆ Clean over 8,500 catch basins and curb inlets
◆ Collect and recycle over 12,000 cubic yards of leaves
◆ Eliminate illegal discharges and spills into the stormwater system
◆ Sweep more than 30,000 curb miles of streets
◆ Provide stormwater education to students in both school districts
◆ Protect, restore, and maintain streams, rivers, and wetlands
◆ Plant over 600 trees along local streams and rivers
◆ Remove garbage from streams and the banks of the Willamette River
◆ Improve rainfall runoff management in developed areas
◆ Replace public drywells to protect groundwater quality
◆ Administer clean water regulations for construction sites, industries, and new development
◆ Plant, preserve, and maintain street trees and median vegetation
◆ Monitor water quality in our local waterways through sampling and data analysis
For More Information
Stormwater and Wastewater Fees Utility Administration Office: 541-682-4900
Stormwater Programs and Services Stormwater Public Education and Outreach: 541-682-2739 System Maintenance and to Report a Spill: 541-682-4800
Wastewater Programs and Services Local Wastewater Collection System Maintenance: 541-682-4800 Regional Wastewater Treatment Facilities and Services: 541-682-8600
City Fees on EWEB BillThe City of Eugene adopts and administers the stormwater and wastewater service fees. EWEB acts only as the City’s billing agent per City Charter.
Public Works
99 W 10th Avenue, Suite 370
Eugene OR 97401 eugene-or.gov
Operations and Maintenance 57%
Administration 12%
Capital Projects 14%
Planning 6%
Utility Right-of-Way Fee 6%
Utility Administration 3%
Education 2%
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